This weekend, the Hunter Wind Ensemble will mark its 20th anniversary with a stunning musical showcase featuring some of the region’s finest young musicians.
Former members of the ensemble will join forces once again to present an exceptional program of music at the 20th Anniversary Concert, taking place at Newcastle Christ Church Cathedral.
The ensemble was founded in 2003 by Department of Education Regional Arts Coordinator Lyn Cook and talented conductor/musician Scott Ryan.
Their vision was to establish a band that would provide outstanding musical opportunities for public school students in the Hunter and Central Coast region. Their inaugural rehearsal took place at the Newcastle Tennis Club, and within a month, they performed their first concert at Newcastle Christ Church Cathedral to celebrate Education Week. Today, two decades later, the ensemble continues to offer exceptional music education opportunities, bringing together students from local schools to rehearse and perform significant works in the concert band repertoire.
Over the years, the Hunter Wind Ensemble has achieved notable successes at regional, state, national, and international levels. Their accomplishments include performances at prestigious venues such as the Sydney Opera House, Australian National Band Championships, National Eisteddfod in Canberra, and the illustrious Musikverein in Vienna, where they received the coveted Summa Cum Laude award.
The ensemble has embarked on numerous successful international tours, enchanting audiences at the Pacific Basin International Music Festival in Hawaii, Summa Cum Laude Festival in Vienna, Euro Disneyland in Paris, and Sister City celebrations in Ube, Japan. They also made a memorable visit to the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago in 2013 and completed a successful tour of Spain and Portugal in 2018. Notably, they have travelled over 8,000km to bring their music to remote communities in the Australian outback.
Under the baton of conductors Scott Ryan, Michael Jobson, and Charissa Ferguson, hundreds of young musicians from the Hunter and Central Coast have benefited from the ensemble’s guidance, gaining invaluable musical knowledge, earning international recognition for their performances, and forming lifelong friendships.
The 20th Anniversary Concert is happening at Newcastle Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday, 24 June, from 1:00 pm. Visit trybooking.com for tickets.
