INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLES

Ensembles are open to all UMass Amherst students, subject to auditions held at the beginning of each semester.

Skip to JAZZ * ORCHESTRA/STRINGS *
EARLY MUSIC * PERCUSSION

WIND

WIND ENSEMBLE
Laura Rexroth, conductor
Acclaimed for its interpretation of the most substantive twentieth-century wind literature; performances broadcast on National Public Radio. The Wind Ensemble regularly commissions and premieres new works, tours and has recorded the wind music of David Maslanka and Charles Bestor on the Albany and Centaur CD labels.

SYMPHONY BAND
Laura Rexroth, conductor
Performs original wind literature, including works by composers such as Persichetti, Benson, Woolfenden, Holst, Grainger and Ticheli. Features guest soloists and conductors regularly and has performed at MENC and CBDNA Eastern Division Conventions. Performs four times annually on campus.

CONCERT BAND
George Parks, conductor
Meets in the spring semester and features a variety of standard band literature. Participants include students from the Campus community.

MINUTEMAN MARCHING BAND
George Parks, director;
Thomas Hannum, associate director
One of the finest university marching bands in the Northeast, this 300-member ensemble performs at home and away football games and makes many guest appearances throughout the region.

MINUTEMAN HOOP BAND
Thomas Hannum, conductor
Provides musical excitement and spirit at home basketball games and post-season tournaments. Open to students from the entire UMass Amherst community.

VOCAL JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Catherine Jensen-Hole, director
Dedicated to the performance of jazz, blues and soul. Appears locally and regionally.

CHAMBER JAZZ ENSEMBLES
Jeff Holmes, Adam Kolker and Graduate students, directors/coaches
Multiple ensembles, including a nonet and jazz messengers group, perform standard and student-written materials in concert and weekly recital settings.

JAZZ IN JULY
Although not a part of Music Department curricula or degree programs, this Fine Arts Center two-week summer program uses the same space and has many of the same jazz faculty members as the Department.

UMASS AMHERST ORCHESTRA
Lanfranco Marcelletti, Jr., director
Presents major works from the symphonic and concerto literature in four major concerts annually. Rehearsals are Mondays and Wednesdays 7-9pm. Auditions are Sept. 5-11; first rehearsal is Monday, Sept. 11.

OPUS ONE - STRING ORCHESTRA ENSEMBLE
Elizabeth Chang, faculty coordinator & coach
A conductorless Chamber Orchestra with two concerts per year. Each program will feature student(s) performing a concerto. An elective for one credit per semester. 

REPERTOIRE ORCHESTRA
Lanfranco Marcelletti, Jr., director
Provides opportunities to develop sight-reading ability and experience through the weekly reading of major works from the standard orchestra repertoire.

FIVE COLLEGE EARLY MUSIC COLLEGIUM
Robert Eisenstein, director
A vocal and instrumental ensemble dedicated to the performance of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque Music.

PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
Eduardo Leandro, conductor
Performs regularly on-campus and has toured throughout the Northeast.

UMASS MARIMBA ENSEMBLE
Thomas Hannum, director

MASS MARIMBA BAND
Thomas Hannum, director

“I have a great belief that the tools developed as a composer at UMass are exactly those required in programming and other creative aspects of the computer world. Our best employees are former and current musicians, and classmates from UMass have found successful careers in either music or the computer business.”

David Swerdlove BM Composition '78
Owner, 30-person consultancy of software services.