Mission and Musicians

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The Sacramento Symphonic Winds (SSW) is a symphonic wind ensemble or "wind orchestra" that performs a wide range of music from classic and contemporary wind band masterpieces, to popular music. Our twofold mission is to provide quality musical performances for audiences in the greater Sacramento community and to offer local musicians a challenging and rewarding musical experience in an encouraging environment. We celebrate the role of community bands and wind ensembles in the musical and cultural life of America. The SSW was founded in 2002 by Dr. Les Lehr, and is now under the direction of Dr. Matthew Morse.

We seek to perform challenging wind music at a near-professional level. Our instrumentation is stable, and an interview and/or audition is required for new members. Our musicians come from a broad range of occupations and backgrounds.

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During each performance season, we play several major concerts featuring classics of the wind ensemble literature, selected transcriptions of orchestral masterpieces, and works by contemporary composers. In addition to these formal concerts, we play joint concerts with local schools and community colleges, music festivals, and also fulfill occasional performance requests for small ensemble events.

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Affiliations

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SSW is a full member of the Sacramento Valley Symphonic Band Association (SVSBA), which provides us with an insurance liability umbrella and free access to a large library of music. SVSBA also acts as the fiduciary agent for SSW funds and provides tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status.

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Additional information about SSW can be found on our website at www.sacwinds.org.
 

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