The UW–Madison Bands program offers a wide selection of ensembles for students of varied abilities and interest levels. The Marching Band, Varsity Band, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and University Bands give numerous performances at every level, from UW–Madison athletic events to professional music conferences and tours.
Auditions are required for some but not all ensembles.
The concert ensembles regularly perform repertoire ranging from classical, standard band literature to giving the premieres of contemporary works for the medium. The rich, musical heritage of the concert ensembles includes faculty conductors Raymond Dvorak, H. Robert Reynolds, Eugene Corporon, James Smith, and Mike Leckrone. Numerous guest conductors include John DeMain, Craig Kirchhoff, Frederick Fennell, Vincent Persichetti, William Revelli, H. Owen Reed, Donald Hunsberger, and Larry Livingston. Guest soloists have included Fred Hemke, Harvey Pittel, and Timofei Dokshitzer, as well as Mead Witter School of Music performance faculty.
The Band Program actively commissions new works for the wind band medium. Composers William Bolcom, David Del Tredici, David Maslanka, Carter Pann, Anthony Plog, D. J. Sparr, and James Stephenson are among the many composers the Band Program has commissioned. The ensembles have performed at prestigious conferences, including those of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA). Each year, the Band Program gives numerous performances on and off campus. Tours of the Midwest and run-out concerts within Wisconsin serve to enlarge the Band Program’s musical community while also establishing strong relationships with our middle and high school colleagues.
In addition, the annual Collage Concert has become a campus favorite. It is an exciting, non-stop showcase of Mead Witter School of Music ensembles in collaboration with other UW–Madison arts disciplines, including creative writing, dance, and musical theatre.
Concert Band
Corey Pompey, conductor
Rehearsal Schedule: Tuesday and Thursday, 1:10-3:05 PM
22/23 Performance Schedule: 10/6/2022; 11/15/2022; 2/15/2023; 3/28/2023; 4/26/2023
Course Number: 660-041
Prerequisite: Audition required.
Description: The Concert Band is comprised of both music majors and non-majors who perform standard symphonic band repertoire, chamber repertoire, and orchestral transcriptions. The Concert Band regularly hosts guest conductors and faculty soloists.
Marching Band
Corey Pompey and Alexander Gonzalez, conductors
Rehearsal Schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 3:30-5:30 PM
Course Number: 660-042
Prerequisite: Audition required.
Description: Anyone who has ever been a member of the Marching and Varsity Bands won’t hesitate to tell you that the four years they participated were some of the most exciting times in their life. There have been trips, concerts, exciting games, and innumerable special events. High points over the years include ten appearances in the Rose Bowl and performances in Tokyo, Tampa, San Antonio, Nashville, Tucson, El Paso, Birmingham, Shreveport, and New York City. Travel includes visits to Big Ten stadiums throughout the Midwest and Lambeau Field to perform during Green Bay Packers games. In Madison, the Marching Band performs weekly in Camp Randall Stadium for more than 80,000 fans during Badger football games. Keeping with tradition, up to 50,000 fans regularly stay after the conclusion of the games to enjoy the famous Fifth Quarter.
Interested in having members of the Marching Band perform at your on- or off-campus event? Send your detailed information to band-outreach-coordinator@music.wisc.edu
Summer University Band
Summer University Band (Music 43)
Conductor: Prof. Scott Teeple
Open to UW–Madison students and members of the community
Join musicians from UW–Madison and the surrounding area in an experience making music at the new Hamel Music Center.
Schedule:
Dates: Schedule for 2023 TBA
Rehearsals: Lee/Kaufman Rehearsal Hall, Hamel Music Center, 740 University Ave
Final Concert: Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall, Hamel Music Center
Registration:
Registration fee: $75
UW students: Enroll through the course catalog for Summer Term
Additional information:
UW-Madison COVID Response: covidresponse.wisc.edu
Instruments: Community members are expected to provide their own instrument for ensemble participation. The Mead Witter School of Music may be able to provide certain instruments for rental, but due to limited availability, cannot guarantee instruments for community member participation.
Questions about course content can be directed to: scott.teeple@wisc.edu
University Bands
Course Number: 660-043
Prerequisite: No audition required.
Description: Three University Bands are available to non-music majors with an interest in making music. All three University Bands rehearse one night a week and share two concerts each semester, performing standard and exciting popular repertoire.
Varsity Band
Corey Pompey and Alexander Gonzalez, conductors
Rehearsal Schedule: Wednesday 3:30-5:30 PM
Course Number: 660-042
Prerequisite: Audition required.
Description: During each season, the Varsity Band performs concerts throughout the state of Wisconsin. Its season finale in April, the annual Varsity Band Spring Concert for thousands of fans at the Kohl Center, is the most rewarding. The concert has featured renowned guest artists, including jazz legend Richard Davis, percussionist Steve Houghton, violin virtuoso Vartan Manoogian, trumpeter Stan Mark (lead trumpet, Maynard Ferguson Orchestra), opera star Kitt Reuter-Foss, world-champion steel pan soloist Liam Teague, drummer Ed Shaughnessy (The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson), trumpeter Mark Pender (Late Night with Conan O’Brien), and Broadway and television star Tom Wopat. The resulting evenings are memorable for everyone. Television re-broadcasts of the concert have made the Varsity Band a favorite throughout the Midwest.
Various athletic pep bands also play an important role in the band program and on campus. The Badger basketball and hockey teams attract thousands of excited fans to the Kohl Center, and in recent years, Wisconsin has enjoyed a long history of post-season tournament action. The Badger hockey team is a perennial contender for the NCAA Championship, which it has won on six separate occasions. In 2006, Wisconsin became the “capital of college hockey” when both the men’s and women’s teams won their respective National Championships. The women’s hockey team achieved this feat again in 2019. The men’s basketball team has enjoyed 14 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including dramatic runs to the Final Four in 2000, 2014, and 2015.
Wind Ensemble
Scott Teeple, conductor
Rehearsal Schedule: Monday and Wednesday 3:30-5:30 PM, Friday 12:00-1:00 PM
22/23 Performance Schedule: 10/5/2022; 11/2/2022; 12/9/2022; 2/16/2023; 3/22/2023; 4/26/2023
Course Number: 660-040
Prerequisite: Audition required.
Description: The Wind Ensemble is mainly comprised of music majors, both graduate and undergraduate students. It performs traditional and contemporary repertoire of the highest caliber, ranging from the sixteenth century to world premieres. The Wind Ensemble’s instrumentation varies based on the requirements of the programmed repertoire. The Wind Ensemble actively commissions new works from world-renowned composers and regularly performs with internationally acclaimed soloists and guest conductors.
