MIT Wind Ensemble
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The MIT Wind Ensemble (or MITWE or 21M.426) is a group of instrumental performers who are students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The group performs classic (such as Holst and Grainger) and contemporary wind ensemble repertoire. It also commissions many new works.
The ensemble was formed in 1999 by Dr. Frederick Harris Jr.. It is led by him and Kenneth Amis, tuba player in the Empire Brass.
The ensemble performs 4 concerts per year in Kresge Auditorium. The concerts are open to the public. The ensemble also has performed with local middle school bands, as part of an outreach program.
Admission to the MIT Wind Ensemble is by audition only. Current players must re-audition at the beginning of every year to remain in the ensemble. The audition consists of a short piece of the student's choice, a sight reading exercise, and a chromatic scale. Undergraduate students in the ensemble may choose to take MITWE for academic credit. In this case, the student must take a short playing exam at the end of each term.
In 2002 and 2003, the ensemble recorded its first CD ("Waking Winds") featuring 4 works by Boston area composers:
- Concertino for Violin and Chamber Winds, by Peter Child
- The Congress of the Insomniacs, by Brian Robison
- Song and Dance, by Gunther Schuller
- Drill, by Evan Ziporyn
The recording sessions took place in Jordan Hall, Kresge Auditorium, and Killian Hall.
[edit] Commissions
The ensemble has commissioned many works for Wind Band, including pieces by Ran Blake, Guillermo Klein, Evan Ziporyn, and others.
