Acadian Wind Symphony

The Acadian Wind Symphony was founded during the summer of 1994 by Gerald Guilbeaux with a special invitation to professional and amateur wind and percussion players from the South Louisiana. The Ensemble is a collection of some of Acadiana’s top instrumentalists dedicated to the performance of traditional and contemporary masterworks for band. It provides an opportunity for serious wind players and percussionists from the Lafayette area to share in the highest level of musical expression and artistry.

 The AWS meets for ten hours of rehearsal over a two week period every summer and performs one major concert. Individual players rotate parts throughout the reading sessions and the performance. The AWS also provides the musical support for the annual Greater Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association Pageant on Mardi Gras Night, and is featured at the annual Patriotic Fete de Pont Breaux on July 4th and other special events throughout the year.

 Many of the members perform professionally with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, while others have performed in various other collegiate, amateur and professional ensembles throughout the state of Louisiana. Though many of the members are professional musicians and/or music educators, many other walks of life are represented within the ranks of the organization.

RECENT PROGRAMS PERFORMED BY THE ACADIAN WIND SYMPHONY

2005 – MADE IN AMERICA – The music of Copland and Bernstein
Gail Brecting, Guest Conductor
FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN Aaron Copland
Appalachian Spring transcribed by Merlin Patterson
An Outdoor Overture Aaron Copland
Three Dance Episodes from “On the Town” (1944) trans.by Marice Stith
Simple Song from MASS transcribed by James Burke
Divertimento for Symphonic Band transcribed by Clare Grundman
SLAVA!  A Concert Overture transcribed by Clare Grundman 

2004 – MUSICAL WILDFLOWERS
AMERICAN OVERTURE FOR BAND Joseph Willcox Jenkins
WHATSOEVER THINGS Mark Camphouse
WOODLAND SKETCHES Edward MacDowell
ALLELUIA! LAUDAMUS TE Alfred Reed
MARCH OPUS 99  Sergei Prokofiev
LINCOLNSHIRE POSY Percy A. Grainger
RIDE Samuel R. Hazo

2003 – VIVA ITALIA
FLORENTINER - Grande Marcia Italiana  Julius Fucik/Frederick Fennell
NABUCCO OVERTURE Guiseppe Verdi/Lucien Cailliet
FANTASY VARIATIONS On a Theme by Niccolo Paganini James Barnes
VESUVIUS for Concert Band Frank Ticheli
CASANOVA  for Cello and Wind Orchestra  Johan de Meij
FUNICULI FUNICULA RHAPSODY  Luigi Denza /Yo  

2003 FEBRUARY – USM CONDUCTOR’S CONFERENCE
AWAYDAY Adam Gorb
LA PROCESSION DU ROCIO Joaquin Turina transcribed by Alfred Reed
CYRUS THE GREAT Karl King
CLOUDBURST Eric Whitacre
SPOON RIVER Percy Aldridge Grainger arranged by Glenn Cliffe Bainum
STAR WARS TRILOGY John Williams arranged by Donald Hunsberger

 2002 – AMERICAN VARIATIONS
VARIATIONS ON A SHAKER MELODY Aaron Copland
NEW ENGLAND TRIPTYCH William Schuman
VARIATIONS ON “AMERICA” Charles Ives
MARCH “THE SOUTHERNER” Russell Alexander
AMERICAN RIVERSONGS Pierre La Plante
A MOVEMENT FOR ROSA….……………....…...Mark Camphouse
FOUR DANCES FROM “WESTSIDE STORY……..….Leonard Bernstein
PASTIME - A SALUTE TO BASEBALL..….……….…...Jack Stamp
THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER…...John Smith/Francis S. Key

2001 WATER MUSIC
WATER MUSIC SUITE by  George Frederick Handel
FINGAL’S CAVE OVERTURE by Felix Mendelssohn arranged by J. S. Seredy
SPOON RIVER  by Percy Aldridge Grainger
SEA SONGS by Thomas Knox
IN A GENTLE RAIN by Robert W. Smith
BLUE LAKE OVERTURE by John Barnes Chance
HARBOR PARK HOLIDAY by James L. Hosay
LOCH NESS -  A Scottish Fantasy by Johan de Meij
SONGS OF SAILOR AND SEA by Robert W. Smith