Had the pleasure of enjoying performances of this fine group of musicians over the past few years. They have made me aware of music and composers that are new to me.
The Metropolitan Wind Symphony Inc has been a source of wonderful music for my friends and me. We have loved attending concerts at both indoor and outdor locations. LIstening to the clear tones of the Metropolitan Wind Sympjony, whether a quiet solo or a more powerful ensemble piece, has stirred our emotions. Thank goodness for the musicians who put in hours of practice for the public's enjoyment. The Metropolitan Wind Symphony deserves support. Please help the Metropolitan Wind Sympnony Inc continue to bring their music so that the lives of the public can be enriched with such high quality concerts.
After graduating from college with a degree in clarinet performance, I moved back to the Boston area without the faintest idea of what I was going to do next in my musical life. I knew I had to play, but I wasn't ready to move on with an advanced degree. Having subbed with the MWS a couple summers earlier, and having made their acquaintance 6 or 7 years earlier by attending a performance, I sought them out again in hopes of landing a spot in the group. Fortunately, there was an opening, and ten years later, I'm still performing and growing with this fantastic organization. In those ten years, I've moved from being just a performing member, to a devoted volunteer on the board of directors. It has been tremendously fulfilling to watch the musical maturity of the group in such a short amount of time and to dedicate so much energy to improving not only members' experiences, but also those of our audiences.
I greatly enjoy the concerts by the Metropolitan Wind Symphony. The programs are a great mix of traditional concert band music and some contemporary music. I think it is especially notable that the group commissions the composition of new works for concert band which the MSO performs.
Mr. Buckley's comments add a lot to the performances. He gives brief and good historical and insightful comments about the pieces performed. He makes the audience feel very welcome.
The Metropolitan Wind Symphony is an incredible group of musicians. Their free concerts in the summer help bring art to young and old, rich and poor as well as encouraging young musicians with their scholarship competition. There are several things which are unique about this community gem. A large majority of the participants are current or retired music educators from the public school system. They continue to give back by inspiring and entertaining the local communities. The other part of the MWS that is captivating is that they seek out and often commission new works or new arrangements to be composed. I really love getting the opportunity to hear new music from new artists.
The Metropolitan Wind Symphony concerts are truly wonderful. Along with the lectures prior to the concerts, the audience enjoys a musical learning experience by the broad and eclectic choices of music performed. One's concept of band music is augmented by the sophisticated selections performed by outstanding volunteer musicians.
Hearing and seeing young students playing next to seasoned adults is a heartening experience. There is tremendous respect for each other among all of the players, along with great humor shared by all.
We travel from the South Shore to Lexington for the concert series and look forward to every concert. How lucky we are to have this wonderful symphony available to us!
I have been attending concert band programs by the Metropolitan Wind Symphony for several years. The programs have all been quite marvelous. The musicians are quite extraordinary, and the programs well balanced. Even thouh this is an "amateur" group, they sound totally professional. I highly recommend them.
I have the great good fortune to be the Conductor of the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, the finest all-volunteer/community concert band I have ever conducted.
I drive 200 miles round trip every Wednesday night simply because it earns me such a rewarding artistic experience. This group is not only extraordinarily accomplished, both technically and musically, but they have a work ethic that makes them a great joy and inspiration to be around.
Connoisseurs of wind literature will appreciate the MWS' high level of repertoire in such difficult masterworks as Dahl's Sinfonietta, Hindemith's Symphony, Whitacre's Ghost Train Trilogy, Daugherty's Bells for Stokowsky, and Gandolfi's Vientos y Tangos.
Another quality indicator is the fact that the group recently released a truly excellent CD composed entirely of live, unedited performances from concerts over the last couple of years. These public performances, of remarkable and consistent quality, have translated into enthusiastic and faithful audiences.
What really distinguishes the MWS, though, is its members; wonderful people and accomplished musicians from an astonishing variety of backgrounds, experiences, and ages. They come together every week, young and old, solely to join with like-minded friends in serving their community through making music at the highest level possible.
As the longtime conductor of one of the nation's finest service bands, and having had the pleasure of conducting professional and community bands across the U.S., I can tell you that the Metropolitan Wind Symphony is an American cultural gem.
"New England's Premier Concert Band" is just that, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to join with these remarkable folks in serving the artistic communities of the greater Boston area.
The MWS is an outstanding group of musicians and people. I have been a member of the group for just about ten years now, and I am still amazed at the quality level of playing and the positive environment in which everyone supports one another and strives to grow as musicians. It is a wonderful environment to be in- one that challenges me as a musician and also to have fun at the same time.
I feel very fortunate to have found the Metropolitan Wind Symphony. Music was a large part of my high school and college years and I'm thrilled to be part of such an outstanding group in my adult life. As a non-professional musician, it is very rewarding to be involved in a group with professionals and non-professionals alike. The MWS's outreach to local students through the Continuum program and the awarding of scholarships inspire students to make music a permanent part of their lives.
