University Bands

Each year, members of the UWEC Bands perform concerts in Gantner Concert Hall and the RCU Theatre at the Pablo Center At The Confluence, tour regionally, and interact with internationally known guest artists, conductors, and composers.  Students are provided opportunities to perform as soloists and serve as student conductors with the Symphony Band and Wind Symphony through our conducting and concerto competitions.  Our graduates are leading music educators across the U.S., perform on Broadway, are orchestral musicians, soloists, conductors, university professors, composers, and musicians in military bands.  

Donate Today! Your gift the Rodney Hudson Band Scholarship or the Donald S. George Memorial Fund can help support the next generation of Blugold Musicians.

Ensemble Auditions

Auditions for Wind Symphony (MUSI 181/381) and Symphony Band (MUSI 180/380) are held during the first week of classes every semester. Audition dates and times are listed below.  If you have questions about auditions, contact Dr. John R. Stewart, Director of Concert Bands, at stewajo@uwec.edu  If you're interested in the University Band, Blugold Marching Band, or Blugold Athletic Band you just have to register for the course — no auditions required!

Wind Symphony and Symphony Band auditions

Fall 2024 Concert Band Auditions materials are available as of August 1st.  

Wind Symphony, Symphony Band, Jazz Ensembles and Jazz Combo auditions are September 3-6, 2024.

Ensembles

Wind Symphony

Dr. John R. Stewart, Conductor

The Wind Symphony (MUSI 181/381) includes approximately 60 undergraduate student musicians who perform as a full wind symphony and as smaller chamber wind groups.  The ensemble is comprised of the most outstanding wind and percussion majors in the Department of Music and Theatre Arts and gifted non-music majors who are selected by audition each semester.  The group is dedicated to the performance of the finest wind repertoire, regardless of period or number of instrumental forces.  Flexible instrumentation and player rotation provide members of the ensemble with a variety of responsibilities, challenges, and playing experiences.  The ensemble provides members the opportunity to broaden performance and teaching skills by experiencing repertoire at the highest level.
The Wind Symphony has performed at many regional, national, and international conferences including: Music Educators National Conference, College Band Directors National Association, Wisconsin State Music Conference, Minnesota Music Educators Association Midwinter Clinic, Illinois Music Educators Association Convention, National Band Association - Wisconsin Chapter Convention, and the International Tuba Euphonium Conference. The Wind Symphony frequently records for regional composers and music publishers including Daehn Publications and JPM Music.
Wind Symphony rehearses on Monday and Wednesday from 2-3:50pm and Friday from 3-3:50pm in Haas Fine Arts Center.

Symphony Band

Dr. Phillip A. Ostrander, Conductor

The Symphony Band (MUSI 180/380), an ensemble comprised of music majors and talented non-music majors, is committed to the study and performance of the finest standard and contemporary works for band. This ensemble is open to university students by audition and performs four concerts a year with a concert tour each spring.
Symphony Band records the educational music of regional composers and publishers at the end of each semester.  Each spring, the Symphony Band hosts both a student concerto and student conducting competition.  Winning students perform and conduct on the final concert of the academic year.
The Symphony Band rehearses on Tuesday and Thursday from 2-3:15pm and Friday from 2-2:50pm in Haas Fine Arts. 

University Band

Prof. David Lofy, Conductor

University Band (MUSI 182/382) is comprised of approximately 120 talented musicians from many academic disciplines as well as music majors who choose to perform on secondary instruments. U-Band is open to all students and no audition is required for participation in this ensemble. The band rehearses once a week and performs one concert per semester in Gantner Concert Hall. The band frequently provides opportunities for talented senior music education majors to serve as a guest conductor with the ensemble. The ensemble is committed to performing a wide variety of repertoire from wind band standards to new contemporary works.
The University Band rehearses on Monday from 4-5:50pm in the fall semester, and on Tuesday from 4-5:50pm in the spring semester.

Blugold Marching Band

Dr. Randal Dickerson, Director
Prof. David Lofy, Assistant Director

The Blugold Marching Band (BMB) (MUSI 183) is one of the largest marching bands in the midwest with 475 members. The BMB is comprised of students from virtually every major and department on campus at UW Eau Claire. The BMB performs at BluGold football games, community events, and marching band exhibitions across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. Every two years, the BMB travels and performs internationally. Recent international trips include: Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Spain, and Italy. During the spring semester, many members of the BMB participate in the newly formed Varsity Band and perform stage shows across the region. Head over to their website for more information!

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Blugold Athletic Band

Prof. David Lofy, Faculty Advisor

As a student-run, faculty-advised student organization, the Blugold Athletic Band is one of our most unique bands on campus. They welcome musicians of all levels and perform at 10-12 basketball games from November-March. If you’re ready to hype up a crowd and cheer on UWEC’s athletes, this is the perfect band for you!

A Brief History of the UWEC Bands

The 2022-2023 academic year marked the Centennial Celebration of the University Bands at UW – Eau Claire. The Band made its first public appearance in Assembly on Friday, January 20, 1922. The band of 20 was organized by students and Miss Clara Mae Ward served as the adviser. Today, the University Band program consists of three concert bands (Wind Symphony, Symphony Band, University Band), four jazz ensembles, numerous chamber ensembles and combos, the Blugold Athletic Band (BAB), the Blugold Marching Band (BMB), and serves over 700 UWEC students across every major on campus.  The ensembles frequently perform on campus, in the community, region, country, and internationally.

UW - Eau Claire celebrates 100 years of the band program - WEAU Story

Connect with UWEC Bands on Social Media!