The Brooklyn Wind Symphony (BKWS) is a

community band A community band is a concert band or brass band ensemble composed of volunteer (non-paid) musicians in a particular geographic area. It may be sponsored by the local (municipal) government or self-supporting. These groups rehearse regularly and p ...

based in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Background

Founded in 2008 as the Grand Street Community Band (GSCB), the band is a select, all-volunteer ensemble accepted by open auditions. The group split into two in 2011 to allow for more members by reinstating the Grand Street Community Band as an all-volunteer ensemble that rehearses and performs standard wind band repertoire. The mission of BKWS is to promote lifelong participation in music while increasing public awareness of

wind bands Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few ho ...

and the literature written for them. Advanced instrumentalists, regardless of profession, have the opportunity to play the most esteemed repertoire for

. The ensemble continues to add new repertoire by commissioning new works by talented composers, such as David Maslanka, Michael Markowski, and Viet Cuong.

Performances

The ensemble traditionally performs two concerts in the fall, two concerts in the spring, and summer concerts outside in the parks of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. BWKS and GSCB are governed by the Metropolitan Music Community (MMC) Board of Directors. The MMC is a

New York State New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

. The Brooklyn Wind Symphony performed at the 67th and 76th

Midwest Clinic The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference is the world's largest instrumental music education conference, annually drawing approximately 17,000 attendees to Chicago from all 50 states and as many as forty countries. It is he ...

in December 2013 and December 2022 held in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. BKWS was the first

ensemble to be invited to participate as a performing band in the prestigious annual event's history, which attracts top musicians and music educators from all over the world. In July 2015, the ensemble was invited to perform at the 16th International World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Conference in San Jose, California.

Staff

* Jeff W. Ball, Founder/Conductor * Jasmine Britt, MMC Artistic Director * Kimberly Roof, Assistant Conductor/MMC President * Andrew Schwartz, MMC Executive Director * Kate Jiranek, MMC Managing Director

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooklyn Wind Symphony Concert bands Musical groups from Brooklyn Wind bands Musical groups established in 2008 2008 establishments in New York City

Background

Performances

Staff

See also

References