Students playing saxophones

Performance Opportunities


Winona State music students lead rich musical lives with many opportunities to perform as a soloist and in chamber and large ensembles.

For more information regarding large and jazz ensembles, please visit the Band Program webpage. 

Symphonic Wind Ensemble


The primary ensemble in the WSU Band program is the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, which rehearses three days a week and performs in four concerts and two commencement ceremonies per year.

The pep band, a secondary responsibility of the wind ensemble, performs at selected football and basketball games.

Private instruction is also offered for all Symphonic Wind Ensemble students, as faculty schedules allow.

For further information about the WSU Bands, please contact Dr. Melanie Brooks at Melanie.Brooks@winona.edu. 

Symphonic Band


The Symphonic Band is the second of two ensembles within the Band Program.

The Symphonic Band rehearses one evening a week and performs in four concerts per year. 

For further information about the WSU Bands, please contact Dr. Melanie Brooks at Melanie.Brooks@winona.edu.

Concert Choir


Concert Choir is a choral ensemble that offers students the chance to be involved in music from the Renaissance to the 20th century.

Women's Chorus


Women’s Chorus is a choral ensemble focused on music written specifically for women's voices.

The music rehearsed and performed ranges from the sixteenth century to the present.

Orchestra


The WSU Orchestra performs works ranging from the baroque period to contemporary during four concerts each year.

Jazz Ensembles


The WSU jazz ensemble is a group of talented musicians selected through audition each year. The group performs various types of jazz and is one of the most active performing groups on campus.

Jazz Combos


Jazz Combos help students learn the art of jazz performance and improvisation in a small ensemble setting.

Groups range in size from four to nine pieces, and all instrumentalists are welcome.

Each combo performs once each semester, though many groups chose to add additional performances off-campus at various venues.

The saxophone quartet is a select chamber group by audition only. This outstanding ensemble performs regularly throughout the year and is often called upon to perform at various important university functions.

For further information about saxophone studies at WSU, please contact Dr. Melanie Brooks at Melanie.Brooks@winona.edu.

The flute Choir is a 15-member chamber ensemble that is open to WSU students by audition. The ensemble performs a variety of literature that uses the full family of flutes: Bass Flute, Alto Flute, C Flute and Piccolo. This ensemble performs throughout the year in recitals, within the community for various functions and for various University events. Smaller groups such as flute quartets are also available for students to join when possible.

For further information regarding the flute choir at WSU, please contact Dr. Rachel Haug Root at Rachel.Haug@winona.edu.

The WSU Brass Ensemble is open to all WSU students by audition and is available for academic credit. The ensemble rehearses weekly and performs two to three times per semester. The ensemble performs a wide array of styles including works by Giovannia Gabrieli, Modeste Mussorgski and Edwin Avril.

For further information regarding the Brass Ensemble at WSU, please contact Dr. Daniel Sheridan at DSheridan@winona.edu.

The percussion program at Winona State University is one of the most active in the state of Minnesota.

It is made up of music majors, minors and non-major participants who study and perform in the percussion studio and various musical ensembles on campus which include Drumline, Percussion Ensemble, Marimba Quartet, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, Concert Band and Orchestra.

Some of the guest soloists who have appeared with the WSU Percussion Ensemble in recent years include

  • Luis Benetti
  • Gregg Bissonette
  • Michael Carney
  • Brad Dutz
  • Phil Faini
  • Rebecca Kite
  • Arthur Lipner
  • Sowah Mensah
  • Ney Rosauro
  • Leigh Howard Stevens
  • Michael Varner
  • Percussion Group Cincinnati

For further information about the WSU Percussion Ensemble, please contact Mr. Jack Donovan at Jack.Donovan@winona.edu.

The WSU Old-Time String Ensemble aims to engage in ways of knowing authentic to informal string traditions such as Irish, Appalachian, and contemporary popular musical practices.  Central to the performance of these styles is improvisation, learning by ear, and collaboration.  This ensemble is open to banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, or bass players wishing to deepen their knowledge of traditional music.

Contact Dr. Aaron Lohmeyer (aaron.lohmeyer@winona.edu) to register for MUS 245.