University of Minnesota Duluth Bands: Ensembles

The University of Minnesota Duluth Symphonic Wind Ensemble is the premier concert band on the UMD campus. It is comprised of approximately 50 of the most outsanding wind and percussion musicians attending the University of Minnesota Duluth. Membership in the ensemble is by audition and ranges from freshmen to seniors. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble serves as a tour gtoup as well as being active on campus in giving concerts and performing at official University functions. The ensemble was honored to be selected to perform at the Minnesota Music Educators Association State Convention in 2001.

... listen to the Symphonic Wind Ensemble.

TPWO's stated mission is to provide a quality musical forum for musicians in the Twin Ports area and to perform exceptional concert band literature for the community.

Formed as the Twin Ports Wind Ensemble in the spring of 1990 by Timothy Mahr, TPWO is a non-profit instrumental music organization comprised of the finest wind and percussion players in the greater Duluth/Superior region and is an outreach program of the University of Minnesota Duluth Department of Music and School of Fine Arts. Most of the musicians have played thyeir instrumenbts for well over twenty years and many make a living through professional performasce or as music educators. The other musicians represent a variety of people from other professions. The members have sought out an opportunity to actively participate in a musical group to maintain and challenge their skills and to provide them an outlet for their love of artistic expression through music. The ensemble not only provides the mucisicians the opportunity to grow artistically, but also provides the public with an unequalled musical experience.

TPWO preforms three to four concerts each season and has perfomed at the Minnesota Music Educators Association Satate Convention and the American School Band Directos Association National Convention.

... listen to the Twin Ports Wind Orchestra.

Visit the TPWO Web Site: www.twinportswindorchestra.org

Directed by Daniel W. Eaton, the Concert Band is a group comprised primarily of non-music majors and performs the finest in band literature. The group gives two concerts per semester. No audition is required for participation in Concert Band, but to facilitate selection of approprate music for the ensemble and chair placement, the director requests a voluntary "hearing" from each member at the beginning of the fall semester. The Concert Band provides an opportunity for all students to continue their education and enjoyment of music, regardless of their primary field of study.

... listen to the Concert Band.

Go to Dan Eaton's Concert Band Web Page

The UMD Bulldog Pep Bands are the groups that perform at UMD home football, hockey, and basketball games as well as a number of other campus events. The pep bands are open to any interested UMD student who plays a wind or percussion instrument. The Fall Football Band is the main group from which the Hockey and Basketball Bands are drawn. Members of the Hockey and Basketball Bands are paid, and active participation in Football Band and an audition with the director are required. In 2001, the Football Band performed at two WCHA Women's Final Five tournaments as well as the NCAA Division 1 Women's Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Durham, New Hampshire.