Who We Are: The Lake Havasu Symphonic Winds is hailed as the finest music ensemble in Mohave County and surrounding areas. The Winds is a thirty member adult wind ensemble which rehearses weekly and presents numerous public performances a season. It was founded in 1998 by Maestro Wesley L. Humphrey, who continues to direct the ensemble. The majority of the musicians are Lake Havasu residents, but there are a few who travel from nearby cities to play with the ensemble. The non-profit (501-c-3) organization is affiliated with the Lake Havasu Parks and Recreation. The Symphonic Winds sole support for music purchases, auditorium costs, programs, advertisement, and other operating costs is by ticket sales, individual and corporate sponsors.
Instrumentation: The current instrumentation consists of one piccolo, two flutes, three soprano clarinets, one bass clarinet, one bassoon, one oboe, four saxophones, two trumpet, three cornets, two french horns, trombones, one euphonium, one string bass, one tuba, and four percussionists.
Scholarships: Skilled high school musicians are welcome to audition. Deserving high school student who are active in the Symphonic Winds and want to pursue a study of music at the university level are eligible for $500 scholarships upon high school graduation.
Repertoire: The music repertoire includes many styles from classics to modern popular compositions of both medium and difficult levels. There are also a growing number of original compositions and arrangements by local musicians.
Concerts: A typical concert is about ninety minutes in length and opens with the Star Spangled Banner. It also includes some marches, a classical selection, a Broadway selection, a couple of popular pieces, and a patriotic selection. Several of the selections feature solo work from one or more members of the group. Most concerts include a guest conductor or artist.
Music making with the Lake Havasu Symphonic Winds is always exciting and the 2008-2009 season promises to even be better than last year. We will give you a splash of tones with Ravel, Debussy; some "warhorses" with Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Bach; "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue". There will be melodies to tap your feet to, and melodies that you will hum to. Each season we work to fill your requests with music from the classics to the excitement of jazz. Most important we plan rehearsals and concerts that will reach for the highest level of artistic excellence from a wind ensemble whose performance will touch your heart and all your senses.
