Announcing Our 2025–2026 Season:

A Year of Sound, Story, and Spirit

The Colorado Wind Ensemble is thrilled to unveil our 2025–2026 season—a year that will transport audiences through musical landscapes of glory, rhythm, myth, transformation, and more. With dynamic guest conductors, rising composers, and captivating performances from our talented musicians, this season promises to be one of our most exhilarating yet.

Here’s your first look at the performances that will define our musical journey this year:

Gloriosa

Saturday, Sept 13, 2025 – 7:30 PM @ King Center
We open the season in triumphant fashion with Gloriosa. From the brilliant brass fanfares and woodwind flourishes of Resplendent Glory to the sweeping drama of Yasuhide Ito’s Gloriosa, this concert honors music’s power to uplift and inspire. We are honored to have Dr. John R. Locke as a guest conductor on Sunrise at Angel’s Gate. Highlights include Charlie Johnson’s Petrichor—winner of the Inclusive Repertoire Award—and Viet Cuong’s Deciduous, a meditation on the cyclical journey of healing.

Program:

• Resplendent Glory – Rossano Galante
• Petrichor – Charlie Johnson (Inclusive Repertoire Award Winner)
• Sunrise at Angel’s Gate – Philip Sparke (conducted by Dr. John R. Locke)
• Wild Nights – Frank Ticheli
• Glory of the Yankee Navy – John Philip Sousa
• Deciduous – Viet Cuong
• Gloriosa – Yasuhide Ito

Dance Mix

Saturday, Oct 11, 2025 – 2:00 PM @ St. Andrew UMC (Highlands Ranch)
Get ready to move! Dance Mix offers a vibrant exploration of rhythm, from the lush textures of Kenneth Hesketh’s Danceries to the irresistible grooves of Samba Magic by Basement Jaxx. Don’t miss Brubaker’s arrangement of Tahiti Trot and Grainger’s iconic marches.

Program:

• Overture for Band – John Heins
  
• Danceries (Set I) – Kenneth Hesketh
  
• Children’s March – Percy Grainger
  
• Gumsucker’s March – Percy Grainger
  
• Masquerade – Anna Clyne / Llinas
  
• Tahiti Trot – Shostakovich / Brubaker
• Samba Magic – Basement Jaxx / Sadler

People & Places

Saturday, Nov 15, 2025 – 7:30 PM @ King Center
Celebrate the cultural and geographical tapestry of our world in People & Places. This program opens with Inclusive Repertoire Honorable Mention Joshua Idio’s The Great Academy, which illustrates the vibrant and diverse urban environment of urban schools. You’ll be taken to the most iconic monuments and memorials of Washington D.C. in Philip Sparke’s Three Washington Statues and end the night on Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas in Ryan George’s inspired suite.

Program:

• The Great Academy – Joshua Idio (Inclusive Repertoire Honorable Mention)
• A Somerset Rhapsody – Holst / Grundman
  
• Three Washington Statues – Philip Sparke
• Bamboo Shoots & City Streets – Benjamin Barker
• La Chancla – Dennis Llinas
• Avelynn’s Lullaby – Joel Puckett
• Acts of Congress – Ryan George

Storyteller

Saturday, Feb 7, 2026 – 7:30 PM @ King Center
Music speaks volumes in Storyteller, a concert woven from narratives of light, struggle, and triumph. With powerful works like David Maslanka’s Give Us This Day and the soulful Wayfaring Stranger, every piece tells a story that will stay with you throughout the evening.

Program:

• Overture to Light Cavalry – von Suppe / Godfrey
  
• Incantation and Dance – John Barnes Chance
  
• Give Us This Day – David Maslanka
  
• The Light Within – Alan Stein
  
• Wayfaring Stranger – Christopher Nelson
• J’ai été au bal – Donald Grantham

Myths & Legends

Saturday, Feb 28, 2026 – 7:30 PM @ King Center
Featuring Neil Guy, trombone
Enter the realm of heroism and epic tales in Myths & Legends. From the iconic Raider’s March (from Steven Spielberg’s classic film Raiders of the Lost Ark), to the Greek mythology-inspired Harvest Concerto, this program dives deep into larger-than-life stories.

Program:

• Khan – Julie Giroux
  
• Symphony for Band – Vincent Persichetti
  
• The Adventures of Jesse Owens – Michael Daugherty
  
• Raider’s March – John Williams / Lavender
• Harvest Concerto – John Mackey

Metamorphosis

Friday, May 8, 2026 – 7:30 PM @ King Center
We close the season with transformation in Metamorphosis, a program of evolution and reinvention. From Barber’s Commando March—his first work scored exclusively for band—to Hindemith’s majestic Symphonic Metamorphosis, you’ll enjoy this musical journey.

Program:

• Aegean Festival Overture – Makris / Bader
• Jazz Suite No. 2 – Shostakovich / de Meij
• Commando March – Samuel Barber
• Symphonic Metamorphosis – Hindemith / Wilson

Join Us!

From sweeping symphonies to joyful marches, from classical giants to fresh voices, our 2025–2026 season is packed with powerful performances that will move and inspire. Mark your calendars, gather your friends, and join us for a year of unforgettable music.

Tickets available soon.