NWS Scholarship Program
The 2025 NWS Memorial Scholarship Competition is now accepted applications through April 14 , 2025. Scholarships of $1,500 and $1,000 will be awarded this year to the top recipients.
See our scholarship page for more information about the competition and how to apply.
The 2024 NWS Memorial Scholarship Competition awarded scholarships of $1,000 and $500 to Ben Folkers, trombone and Elizabeth Ford, trumpet. NWS sent the funds directly to these students UNO student accounts for use in Fall 2024 . See our scholarship recipients page to find out more about these talented musicians.
Your financial support can help us continue to provide financial resources to young people who participate in post college/university music programs. To support our scholarships, make a gift to NWS in honor of or in memory of a loved one or special friend. On our giving platform, select NWS Scholarship Fund and indicate who you would like to honor or remember with this donation. Or just make a donation to this fund because you like to help the development of young musicians.
Spring Concert – Variations on America
with the Omaha North HS Band
April 27, 2025, 3:00PM – Omaha North HS
The Nebraska Wind Symphony under the direction of Dr. Joshua Kearney and the Omaha North High School Band proudly present a shared concert, Variations on America. This concert is Sunday, April 27th at 3:00PM at Omaha North High School, 4410 N 36th St, Omaha, NE.
Variations on America promises an unforgettable afternoon of music, celebrating both the legacy and future of the wind band tradition! The concert begins with selections by the North HS Band under the direction of Amber Bock.
The Nebraska Wind Symphony’s portion of the concert includes Florence Price’s rhythmic and energetic Juba Dance conducted by NWS Associate Music Director Keith Davis, the lyrical beauty of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ English Folk Song Suite, and John Philip Sousa’s rousing and unique march Right-Left with guest conductor Preston Casey. There’s more including Travis Cross’ moving Tribute, conducted by Omaha North Director of Bands Amber Bock, and James Hosay’s powerful Black Granite, a tribute to those who served in Vietnam. NWS performs the world premieres of two works for band, Gathering No Moss by UNO faculty member Matthew Bardin and Father Everlasting by Larry MacTaggart directed by NWS playing member Brian Kracl. Anchoring the program is Charles Ives’ Variations on ‘America’, a bold and inventive reimagining of the familiar patriotic tune composed in 1891 when Ives was only seventeen years old! This quintessentially American work showcases Ives’ signature creativity, blending tradition with unexpected harmonies and playful variations.
View, download, or print the flyer for this concert.
All NWS concerts are free and open to the public.
Your generous donation along with those of businesses, playing members, and our friends throughout the Omaha area make this possible. Thank you for supporting NWS and helping us continue to provide free concerts!
Donations for this concert support both NWS and the Omaha North band program!
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Winter Concert – ¡Fiesta Fantástica!
Middle School All-Stars and the Westview HS Band
February 23, 2025, 3:00PM – Omaha Westview HS
You won’t want to miss this ¡Fiesta Fantástica! of a concert at Omaha Westview High School, 15800 Summit Plaza in Bennington! This year we showcase Middle School All-Star Clarinets! These students are chosen by their directors to participate. We provide a rich and exciting musical experience for them with challenging music and a chance to work with a local clarinet clinician! For this concert, the clarinets will be featured on “Clarinet Hoedown” and “Sol Y Sombra”.
NWS is proud to share this performance with the Westview High School concert band under the direction of Doug Bogatz.
The Nebraska Wind Symphony repertoire for this concert includes a tuneful suite “Ritmos de la Tierra” by Victoriano Valencia, “Bliss, a Mellifluous Chorale for Band” by Ivette Herryman Rodriguez with guest director Doug Bogatz, and the timeless “El Camino Real” by Alfred Reed. We also feature NWS Member Myra Coveney in an electrifying performance of “Twitch” for Clarinet and Band by Nathan Daughtrey.
Check out the Flyer for this concert.
View the printed program for this concert.
A December Review – Holiday Concert
December 8, 2024, 3:00PM – UNO Strauss PAC
The University of Nebraska at Omaha Bands and the Nebraska Wind Symphony
The UNO University Band and the Nebraska Wind Symphony present a shared concert on Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 3PM at UNO’s Strauss Performing Arts Center.
The program begins with the UNO University Band, a non-auditioned ensemble open to all UNO students, faculty, and staff under the direction of Prof. Peter Wilger.
The Nebraska Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Joshua Kearney and Associate Director Keith Davis is featured in the second half of the program. NWS performs the following selections: Merry Music for Wind Band by Hidas Frigyes with guest director Janis Purins, Ubi Caritas by Paul Mealor, A Christmas Festival by Leroy Anderson, and The Snowman by Howard Blake with Alexandria Plumb, soprano soloist and narrator.
Check out the flyer for this program.
UNO provided the concert program for this event.
View the posters we displayed with our NWS donors and concert advertisers for this event.
Giving Tuesday – December 3, 2024
NWS participated in the Omaha metro area Giving Tuesday on December 3, 2024.
We thank our generous donors for supporting us during this event.
We received just over $4,200 from 28 donors enabling us to exceed our total dollar goal!
Our thanks to SHARE Omaha for continuing to sponsor this giving event.
Visit our SHARE Omaha page
Your donation helps us purchase new music, replace and repair large equipment, pay our dedicated part-time staff, cover rehearsal and performance venue fees, and support special programs such as our Middle School All-Stars. Thank you for your generous support of the Nebraska Wind Symphony, Omaha’s Community Concert Band!
SHARE Omaha’s Mission is to help nonprofits achieve their missions by inspiring support and serving. Their goal is to change the giving culture of the metro area.
2024-2025 Concert Season
October 20, 2024 – UNO Strauss Performing Arts Center – 7:30 PM
December 8, 2024 – UNO Strauss Performing Arts Center – 3:00 PM – with the UNO University Band
February 23, 2025 – Westview High School – 3:00 PM – with the Middle School All-Stars and the Westview HS Band
April 27, 2025 – North High School – 3:00 PM – with the North HS Band
Summer Concerts with NWS Swingtones
June 8, 2025 – St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church – 6:00 PM
July 3, 2025 – Ralston Granary – 6:00PM (tentative)
Thanks to the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment for their grant support of concerts during this season.
All concerts are free and open to the public.
Donations of any amount are appreciated to help offset the cost of presenting our programs of fine concert band music.
Thank You! for Supporting NWS!
NWS relies on financial support from its playing members, concert patrons, and businesses and individuals from around the Omaha metropolitan area. These gifts help us to pay for rehearsal and concert venues, music director and other part-time staff salaries, new music purchase and rental, performance rights, insurance, replacement equipment, and so many other things.
Read the NWS Sponsor/Advertiser/Donor Letter of 2024.
Consider providing your financial support of NWS through one or more of these methods:
Direct Donation – Sponsor a Concert – Purchase a Program Advertisement – Giving Programs can fund us through your purchases – ShareOmaha Events
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with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment