The renowned Carnegie Hall has a deep and rich history in music, from hosting famous music composers such as Tchalvinsky and Mahler to popular artists such as Stevie Wonder, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and The Beatles. It would be any musician’s dream and honor to perform at such a prestigious venue, and luckily, the UW-Whitewater Symphonic Wind Ensemble got that honor March 11.
“The years that the Symphonic Wind Ensemble went to Carnegie were 2013, 2020 and now 2025. We were so good in 2020 that no one else performed in that hall,” said conductor Glenn Hayes.
The Symphonic Wind Ensemble was the first collegiate concert band from Wisconsin to play in Carnegie Hall. Since then they’ve been invited back and Hayes has not had to ask to perform there, it has all been from invitations.
“I am feeling good and prepared for the hall, I don’t get nervous for group performances but I am kind of nervous since this is probably the biggest performance of my life,” saxophonist Dawson France said.
France said he is grateful for the opportunity and the amazing section that he has the honor of performing with.
“I am feeling nervous, but I am excited for the New York experience and, of course, the music venue,” clarinetist Loren Kutz said.
Kutz explained how prepared she feels with the ensemble and is very excited to go as well as being very grateful to UW-W for helping organize and fund the trip.
“I am feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitement, this will be the biggest concert for a hall that has a rich history in music,” Euphonium player Ian Curless said. “But, I am excited for us to play at a high level and get to express our love for music with fantastic musicians who all work hard.”
Curless explained he is very nervous for the five minutes before they perform on stage. Those five minutes are a preparation for getting on that stage and performing for an audience that will be from around the world, or even high-class musicians. He believes this trip will be filled with joy, tears and a sense of accomplishment spread throughout the whole band and audience.
“I am feeling stressed and nervous for my performance and for the audience that will show and watch us,” french hornist Mitch Edwards said.
Edwards is most nervous about playing things correctly both for himself as a musician and for his section, since some parts can be off if not performed correctly. He is very excited about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and for the ensemble to play in such a historic place for music.
“I am feeling excited with an undertone of nervousness and anxiousness, my nerves are targeted for being on that stage and performing,” trumpet player Eli Abraham said.
Abraham expressed how excited he is for the opportunity of such a grand performance and how long the ensemble has been preparing and working so hard both as a musician and as a full ensemble.
The Symphonic Wind Ensemble had a concert on March 2 at The Young, where they played through their whole repertoire for their performance at Carnegie Hall. The pieces they performed are “Airborne” by Alex Shapiro, “Be Thou My Vision” by David Gillingham, “Spoon River” by Glenn C. Bainum and parts four and five of David Maslanka’s “Symphony No. 4.”
The students described “Airborne” as quick, gritty, fast and a chaotic blur that expressed the anxiety of the Covid pandemic and an opener that you will certainly not forget. This will be the Carnegie Hall debut of composer Alex Shapiro.
“Be Thou My Vision” is described as delicate, pretty, and beautiful, while also being sad in a way of remembering a lover or someone who passed.
“Spoon River” is a piece with integrity that helps the ensemble form a good sound while also being fun, upbeat, lighthearted and frog-like.
Lastly, Maslanka’s Symphony is expressed by being the hardest piece in the program that pushes the ensemble, it is extremely intense and a beast of a piece. While having a powerful and beautifully soft section with an ending that can make people say wow.
The musicians love how diverse the repertoire is, instead of playing traditional pieces by white men who have passed, they are playing from composers who are alive, except for Maslanka who passed in 2017. Even though the pieces are challenging, the ensemble enjoys working on the pieces since they started before winter break.
The performance on March 2 truly showcased all of the musicians in the ensembles’ hard work and dedication to not only making history but for proving that a small town like Whitewater can hold the capability for performing at such a prestigious hall.
Aside from Carnegie Hall, the musicians in the ensemble have an opportunity to explore New York City, whether that is going to a jazz club, seeing a show on Broadway, or seeing many iconic buildings and structures of New York.
Hayes has expressed how the ensemble in the past has had an emotional reaction after performing on that stage, whether that is crying tears of joy or sitting in silence or in awe of where they have just performed.
“I am very thankful,” Hayes said, “for the help from the student government, Chancellor King, and Dean Dugan for their full support and help in making this trip possible for this ensemble.”
