Instrumental Ensembles
Instrumental Ensembles
The UD School of Music offers a large variety of instrumental ensembles. Ensembles are open to ALL students on campus—both music majors and non-majors. These ensembles provide valuable performance opportunities and allow students to develop their musical skills in a collaborative setting.
Students have the chance to perform works from the classical canon as well as contemporary compositions, gaining experience that will serve them well in their future musical endeavors. The school's commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive musical community is evident in the breadth and quality of its instrumental ensemble offerings.
Concert Bands
The University of Delaware Wind Ensemble (UDWE) is the premier wind band at the University of Delaware and is comprised of approximately 50 of the finest woodwind, brass, and percussion student performers in the School of Music.
The UD Wind Ensemble is dedicated to presenting a wide variety of repertoire—both full ensemble and chamber, from 17th century through the present day, established works in the band repertory to cutting edge contemporary literature. The ensemble is committed to artistic collaboration, and regularly works with School of Music faculty artists, guest performers, composers, and conductors, as well as non-musician artists and scholars. Additionally, the ensemble dedicates significant effort to the support of secondary school musicians, regularly inviting student groups to join the UDWE for side-by-side rehearsal and performance experiences.
The UDWE is committed to supporting the continued development of quality literature for winds, having led and participated in numerous commissions by a diverse collection of composers. Recently, the UDWE completed a successful performance tour of Spain, giving concerts to sold-out audiences in Barcelona, Valencia, and Granada, as well as an invited performance at the 2019 Úbeda Festival of Music and Dance.
The ensemble was selected to perform at the 2020 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Eastern Division Conference, and recently gave an invited performance at the 2022 World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Conference in Prague. The UDWE is honored to have won second place in the 2021 American Prize for Band/Wind Ensemble Performance College/University Division.
Symphonic Band, led by James Ancona and Brooke Johnson, is a group of 60-70 wind and percussion instrumentalists. Membership is open to all students from all majors at the University. The Symphonic Band performs standard concert band literature as well as transcriptions and music originally written for wind band. Concerts are presented on campus. Auditions are held the day before classes begin each semester.
Collegiate Band, supervised by Professor Lauren Reynolds and conducted by the graduate wind conducting studio, is a large concert band (averaging more than 100 members) comprised of wind, brass, and percussion players from across the campus. Membership is open to all students from all majors at the University.
The Collegiate Band performs diverse literature ranging from band standards to brand new works. In addition, the Collegiate Band runs an annual composition contest and premieres the winning work at their concert. The ensemble meets once per week and gives one concert in the spring semester. There are no formal auditions to join the ensemble, but members complete a music hearing to ensure appropriate part placement.
Orchestras
Orchestral Activities at the University of Delaware, led by James Allen Anderson, are comprised of three specifically missioned ensembles, serving a total of more than 100 students from across the entire University.
The University of Delaware Symphony Orchestra is an 80-plus member auditioned ensemble comprised of the finest undergraduate and graduate music majors from the distinguished School of Music as well as gifted non-majors from other departments across campus. The UDSO presents four programs a year and performs literature from the standard orchestral repertoire spanning the Baroque to the contemporary, as well as collaborations with select choral ensembles, soloists, and conductors.
Recent performances have included masterpieces such as Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 and Mass in C, Brahms' Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 and Ein deutsches Requiem, Dvořák’s Symphonies Nos. 7 & 9, Hanson’s Symphony No. 2, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5, Respighi’s Fontane di Roma and Vetrate di chiesa, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, Russian Easter Overture and Scheherazade, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5, Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1, Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 and Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, as well as works from contemporary composers such as Jennifer Barker, Michael Daugherty, Eric Ewazen, Jennifer Higdon, Robert Moran, Christopher Theofanidis, and Joseph Vella. The UDSO frequently participates in domestic and international tours. In 2009, the UDSO was a featured performer at the Music Educator’s National Conference regional convention in Providence, Rhode Island. In 2013 the orchestra travelled to Bogota, Colombia and joined forces with Pontificia Javeriana Universidad and Universidad Central for an 8-day tour. Recent domestic travel included a 3-day tour in 2016 of the Washington D.C. area, joining forces with elite students from the J. S. Bach Musikschule in Vienna.
The University of Delaware Chamber Orchestra is a select group of student musicians comprised of varying instrumentation based on the specific programming demands for each concert. The Chamber Orchestra plays several programs per semester providing the highest-level performance experience of sophisticated chamber orchestra literature. The Chamber Orchestra serves as the pit orchestra for UD Opera Theater and is the resident ensemble in the UD Cinema Symphony Series.
Recent performances have included operas such as Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, Massenet’s Werther, Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Puccini’s La bohème and Il trittico, Verdi’s Falstaff, and contemporary operas by composers Mark Adamo, David Conte, Daniel Pinkham, and Robert Ward. The Chamber Orchestra has accompanied films on the UD Cinema Symphony Series for movies such as Dracula (1931), Easy Street (1917) and The Immigrant (1917), Frankenstein (1931), Phantom of the Opera (1925), and The River (1937).
University Strings was created to provide an opportunity for any and all student string players on campus to participate in a music making experience regardless of their ability. A wide variety of string ensemble repertoire is played.
Early Music Ensembles
The Early Music Program at Delaware, under the direction of Russell E. Murray, Jr., provides undergraduate and graduate students a unique opportunity to explore the world of early music through performance and private study.
The Collegium Musicum provides instrumentalists and vocalists the opportunity to study and perform music from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The Collegium comprises a number of chamber ensembles formed around the interests and abilities of its members, providing the opportunity to learn new instruments and performance styles and to perform in formal and informal settings. The Collegium presents at least one major performance each semester, often concentrating on the music of a particular style, historic period or geographic region.
The Baroque Chamber Ensemble is a select ensemble that specializes in music for winds, strings and keyboard from approximately 1600-1750. Students in the ensemble learn more advanced aspects of performance practice and receive coaching from faculty and area professionals. The ensemble usually presents one performance per semester, sometimes in venues outside of the University community.
Ready to Audition?
Every instrumental ensemble is open to university students from ANY major!
Some of UD's instrumental ensembles require an audition to participate, while a few (e.g. Collegiate Band, University Strings) do not.
