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About Us
Who We Are
Tidewater Winds Concert Band is comprised of 65 talented woodwind, brass, and percussion musicians from across the Hampton Roads Virginia region representing various military branches, careers, academia, college bands and orchestras. Tidewater Winds is one of a handful of Concert Bands like it in the country, preserving the unique heritage of American Concert Bands in the Sousa tradition.
Our Mission
The Mission of Tidewater Winds is to provide quality concert band programming in the Hampton Roads region. Through community partnerships and local initiatives, Tidewater Winds works to provide musical performances, special projects, and educational programming at the highest level of excellence. It is our charge to musically serve the Hampton Roads region while offering equity and inclusion to all audiences. We aim to encourage education, socialization and unity through our musical programs.
Our Goals
- To serve the community with live quality free performances promoting the appreciation of musical artistry with a unique blend of concert band instrumentation.
- To enrich, inspire, and create uplifting joy and patriotism in the lives of our audiences with fresh interpretations of a variety of musical compositions.
- To bring quality entertainment to the community while maintaining a working community of local artists.
- To provide opportunities to educate and mold young musicians that provide and contribute to artistic growth.
Board, Staff, Musicians and Partners
Executive Director
Executive Director
Executive Director
Michael Kerry Williams
Music Director
Executive Director
Executive Director
Maestro John Brewington
Board President
Executive Director
Board President
Matthew Weinstein
Musicians
Flute/piccolo
Amber Kidd
Erika Frydenlund
Joshua Stone
Jennifer Williams
Oboe
Harvey Stokes
Rena Long
Richard Whitley
Clarinet
Eddie Knakal
Gene Chieffo
Gabe Clemons
Steve Clendenin
Lee Cooper
Ed Haywood
Michelle Knipple
Micah Lall-Trail
Cathy Ogram
Rachel Owen
Eric Potter
Shelby Worst
Vince Zentner
Bass Clarinet
Alan Brown
Bassoon
Stephanie Sanders
John Parker
Kecia Yeates
Alto Sax
Laura Cathcart
Brandon Waltz
Tenor Sax
Steve Ambrose
Renee Kingan
Matthew Pohl
Steven Thorne
Bari Sax
Buddy Creasy
Renee Kingan
Piano
Elmer Castillo
Guitar
Dylan Reyes
Bass:
Mike Finn
Trumpet
Robyn Card
Tom Graper
Stephanie Harron
Manuel Hernandez
David Koelz
William Lemley
Heath Losick
Ben McCarthy
James Reid
LeAnn Splitter
Joshua Tetreault
Denise White
Horn
Eric High
Gabriel Boyd
Beverley Losick
Ellen Polachek
Dylan Reyes
Trombone
Chris Espy
Ken Keller
Jay Larkin
Katie McCaffrey
Patrick Oudie
Phil Sloan
Nicholas Tolman
Wayne Walton
Bass Trombone
Rick Kalinauskas
Adam Robles
Euphonium
Brian Sklute
Alex Federico
Rick Kalinauskas
Mike McKenna
Tuba
Phil Sloan
James Cipriano
Lee Dise
Percussion
Ralph Copley
Aaron Cook
Paige Driver
Lisa Farrell
Dan Knipple
Mitchell Moore
Sarah Williams
Projects and Signature Services
Music Education
Free Summer Concerts
Free Summer Concerts
Student Musician Internships
Student Arts Management Internships
"The RIME Project"
"Band Together"
Master Classes
Band Clinics
In-School Performances
Free Summer Concerts
Free Summer Concerts
Free Summer Concerts
Tidewater Winds strongly believes that accessibility to high-quality professional music is an important aspect to a fulfilling life. We fundraise hard to make our summer concerts free for families, students, and all who wish to experience the power of a full 55-piece concert band. We enhance the quality of life in Hampton Roads!
Your support is appreciated!
Our Ensembles
Free Summer Concerts
Our Ensembles
Concert Band
The Little Big Band
Big Band
Brass Quintet
Woodwind Quartet
Jazz Trio
Solo Projects
Our History-Since 1985
A Brief History
1985
The late C. Sidney Berg founded The Tidewater Winds Professional Concert Band
in 1985 to provide an opportunity for residents of the Hampton Roads area to
enjoy free professional band concerts in the “Sousa Band” tradition. Funding
comes from various local and state grants, as well as contributions from
businesses and individuals. The inaugural concert of this band took place on
July 7, 1985 at Norfolk’s Town Point Park. Maestro Berg conducts the Winds until his passing in 2000.
1992
The Winds are Incorporated by the State Corporation Commission
on October 13, 1992, the band is a 501 c3 non-profit organization as recognized by
the Internal Revenue Service.
2000
Tidewater Winds begins incorporating an educational component to the Winds. High School and College students began to audition as music and performing interns, performing alongside the professional ensemble. Maestro Ascersion becomes the 2nd Conductor for the Winds in 2000 and continues until his passing in 2006.
2012
Tidewater Winds becomes a Resident Ensemble of the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach!
2019
New initiatives are introduced making the Winds more accessible and available to the public. Small ensembles are formed allowing quintets and quartets to perform as approved Tidewater Winds ensembles on smaller stages and with more repetoire variety. The education program grows into In-School StudentConcerts, Middle and High School Band Clinics, Master Classes and the RIME project takes form as a student literacy music program to enhance literacy skills and music appreciation.
2021
A partnership develops with Norfolk Collegiate Schools Music Department. Tidewater Winds musicians provide MAster Classes and support the pit musicians for their annual Broadway Musical student projects. In exchange for support, Norfolk Collegiate School trades the use of the theatre for summer cocnerts.
2022-2023
The RiME Project debuts providing a family sneak-peak to the performance of Pinocchio with Rainbow Puppets. Production partner IMGoing debuts the concert on 24th Street Stage in Virginia Beach. Educational material is prepared for a full release in 2023.
A partnership is struck between Tidewater Winds and the Academy of Music to support Band Together, a side-by-side instructional performance program for music students with disabilities. Tidewater Winds musicians support training and instruction in this unique parternship.
Current
From our humble beginnings to now, we continue to stick to our mission of providing quality free summer concerts to communities across Hampton Roads. We've added so many projects to our work but we will never lose the connection to our audiences, our joy of music and concert offerings to the public. Maestro Brewington leads the Winds in 2006 and contnues to develop crreative and powerful concerts while developing innovative connections to our audiences and community.
What's A Concert Band?
The concert band is an ensemble that goes by many names: wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind band, wind orchestra, symphonic band — or just plain "band." It's a collection of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments that is best known to the general public for patriotic marches, but it also is an ensemble that more and more composers are turning to for their next big work.
So what exactly is a concert band? Here are some answers for those new to the genre as we launch the Concert Band stream.
Q: What is the difference between an orchestra and a concert band?
A: The most obvious difference between the ensembles is the instruments that call the ensemble home. Violins, violas, cellos and basses make up the majority of an orchestra, while a concert band is made up of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. Basically, the concert band does not contain stringed instruments, except the occasional string bass or harp. When you think of concert band music, you might think of marches, like John Philip Sousa's classic The Stars and Stripes Forever, or other patriotic tunes. This is the music that kickstarted the American band tradition.
Q: How did concert bands start?
A: Concert bands represent the coming together of two types of smaller ensembles: the brass bands that accompanied military regiments and the wind section of an orchestra.
On the lighter side, some composers such as Mozart and Haydn realized that the wind section of the orchestra had a unique sound and virtuosic ability. They occasionally wrote just for that section of the orchestra to give string players a break.
As military bands became more ceremonial than practical, they were able to expand to include woodwinds and play sit-down concerts for public audiences. This inspired a shift in repertoire. Now, along with marches, bands play arrangements from orchestral classics to modern pop.
Partners in the Arts and Venues
Rainbow Puppets
Virginia Beach Chorale
Virginia Beach Chorale
Virginia Beach Chorale
Virginia Beach Chorale
Virginia Beach Chorale
Symphonicity
Virginia Beach Chorale
Swing Virginia
Swing Virginia
Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts
Swing Virginia
Virginia Legends
Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts
Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts
Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts
Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts
Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts
Regent University
Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center
Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center
Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
Children's Museum of Virginia
Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center
Children's Museum of Virginia
Norfolk Collegiate Theatre
Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center
Children's Museum of Virginia
Live on Atlantic
Khedive Shriners Chespeake
WINDSdays Offshore Energy
WINDSdays Offshore Energy
Khedive Shriners Chespeake
WINDSdays Offshore Energy
Khedive Shriners Chespeake
Khedive Shriners Chespeake
Khedive Shriners Chespeake
