Wright State Wind Symphony invited to perform at national college band conference

For the first time in the history of the Wright State band program, the Wind Symphony was invited to perform at the College Band Directors National Association North Central Division Conference.

The Wright State University Wind Symphony, under the direction of Shelley Jagow, Ph.D., professor of music and director of bands, has been selected to perform at the 2024 College Band Directors National Association North Central Division Conference.

It is the first time the Wind Symphony has been invited to perform at a College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) conference, which will attract ensembles from 12 states.

Ensembles are invited to perform at the conference through a competitive, blind audition process.

“I am so very proud of our students in this accomplishment, as this will be the first time in the history of the band program at Wright State that an ensemble has been selected to perform at CBDNA,” Jagow said.

The College Band Directors National Association North Central Division Conference will be held at The Ohio State University on April 4–6, 2024. Numerous ensembles from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin will participate in the conference.

The Wind Symphony will commission a new work to premiere at the conference by Sonia Morales-Matos, a Puerto Rican composer, performer and educator.

Morales-Matos was the guest artist at Wright State’s 2023 Silver Melted into Sound Festival. Hosted by Wright State’s School of Fine and Performing Arts, Silver Melted into Sound is a music festival for concert bands, vocal ensembles and string orchestras designed to support the programming of diverse composers.

As Wright State’s premier wind band, the Wind Symphony performs the finest in symphonic wind repertoire, ranging from transcriptions to original compositions. Its student members are chosen annually by competitive audition.

Any Wright State student can join the university bands. Non-music majors perform in all of Wright State’s ensembles: Wind Symphony, Concert Band, Jazz Band and Pep Band. To join a group, contact shelley.jagow@wright.edu.

Founded in 1941, the College Band Directors National Association is a grassroots organization that supports the teaching, performance and study of music for wind bands. The association includes more than 700 active members from a variety of conservatory wind ensembles, athletic bands and small college bands.