The El Paso Wind Symphony

The El Paso Winds, formerly El Paso Wind Symphony is a concert band that was organized by Dr. Ron Hufstader and a small group of El Paso area band directors in the spring of 1995. Today, the band consists of greater El Paso residents, most of whom are band directors in public and private schools. The mission of the group is: to provide a role model... for middle school, high school, and college band programs; to provide educational opportunities for all music students; to present concerts of quality wind literature to the public on a professional level. The El Paso Winds consists of approximately 45 players. This includes woodwind, brass, and percussion - the normal instrumentation for a concert band or wind ensemble. An 8-12 member Board of Directors is diligently working to find funding for the organization and to offer guidance for the group. This board is comprised of volunteers from the business and education fields who are donating their time and effort to help ensure the success of the Wind Symphony. The El Paso Winds' regular season consists of 5 concerts including a Holiday concert in December. The TMEA Region XXII All State Players (high school musicians) are always invited to perform with the Wind Symphony at one concert. Another concert is set aside to feature the winner of the Concerto Competition where a high school soloist is accompanied by the Winds. In recent years, the El Paso Winds has also shared the stage with the winners of the school band with the most attendees at concerts contest. In the past, the El Paso Winds has performed for a crowd of ten to twenty thousand at the Music Under the Stars Fourth of July Concert. In addition to the concert presentations, the EP Winds hosts an All-Region clinic for middle school and high school band students and plans are in place to bring back the summer band camp. El Paso Winds members serve as clinicians for both these events. It is through activities such as these that the El Paso Winds is realizing the goals of the organization. These activities are ...Read More