There is no admission charged for any of this season’s NWS concerts.
Your generous donation helps us keep providing free concerts.
Check out the Support Us page for more ways you can provide financial support for your community band.
Free Summer Concerts – June 8 and July 3
Audiences will enjoy a diverse selection of works at our two free summer concerts! Please join us for either or both of these evenings for great music.
Sunday, June 8 – 6PM at St Robert Bellarmine Mainelli Center, 11802 Pacific Street
Thursday, July 3 – 6PM at Ralston Granary, 7401 Main Street, Ralston
Both of these programs feature music of the NWS Swingtones big band directed by Brian Lund followed by the Nebraska Wind Symphony directed this summer by Keith Davis.
The NWS Swingtones repertoire consists of big band arrangements in the style of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Harry James, Wood Herman, Les Brown, and many others. They are preparing two different programs of music from stage and screen and many from the Great American Song Book.
The Nebraska Wind Symphony portion of the July 3rd concert features a variety of music; a medley of well loved Broadway Show-Stoppers, selections by Leonard Bernstein, Alexander Russell’s Colossus of Columbia March, and John Philip Sousa’s Washington Post March. Other works include Florence Price’s rhythmic and energetic Juba Dance, John Rutter’s lush and lyrical For the Beauty of the Earth, Travis Cross’ moving Tribute, and James Hosay’s powerful Black Granite—in tribute to those whose names are engraved on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. Additional selections include the lively El Cumbanchero by Rafeal Hernandez and patriotic tunes The Stars and Stripes Forever and Armed Services Medley.
See the flyer for the July 3rd concert.
Before and during this concert, you are invited to enjoy a pie & ice cream social and a picnic on the green from 5:30pm – 7:30pm.
After the concert there will be a variety of food trucks including Papillion Taco, BBQ Brothers, E creamery, and All Puffed up.
For the June 8th program we featured guest soloist, UNO student trombonist Ben Folkers, the 2024 winner of the annual Nebraska Wind Symphony Memorial Scholarship. Ben will be performing one of the movements from Launy Grøndahl’s Trombone Concerto.
Other selections include Florence Price’s rhythmic and energetic Juba Dance, John Rutter’s lush and lyrical For the Beauty of the Earth, Travis Cross’ moving Tribute, James Hosay’s powerful concert march Black Granite inspired by the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC and and Larry MacTaggart’s touching Father Everlasting. The programs will feature a medley of well loved Broadway Show-Stoppers, Alexander Russell’s Colossus of Columbia , and John Philip Sousa’s Washington Post .
See the flyer for the June 8 concert.
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 (just South of Ames Avenue).
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.
View the program for this concert.
Winter Concert – Fiesta Fantastica
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 Fantastica 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.
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 presented a shared concert on Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 3PM at UNO’s Strauss Performing Arts Center.
The program began 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 was featured in the second half of the program. NWS performed these 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.
Fall Concert – Sunday, October 20, 2024 – 7:30PM – UNO Strauss PAC
Join Music Director Dr. Joshua Kearney, Associate Music Director Keith Davis, guest conductor Sarah Aymond, and the Nebraska Wind Symphony for the first concert of our 48th season on Sunday, October 20th at 7:30 PM at the Strauss
Performing Arts Center at University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Check out the printed program from this concert.
The program is loosely inspired by the 2024 Olympics and the longstanding relationship between the U.S. and France. This concert features folk and popular music from both countries. The concert begins with the inspirational and unifying anthem of the 1984 Olympic Fanfare composed by legendary American composer John Williams. Sarah Aymond, director of music at Iowa Western Community College, conducts Jan Van Der Roost’s Suite Provençale, a suite of French folksongs. We also present American favorites; John Philip Sousa’s Washington Post March, and Omar Thomas’ soulful and contemporary rendition of the classic Shenandoah. We’ll also highlight Leonard Bernstein’s playful and optimistic music from the 1954 comic operetta Candide, based on the French writer Voltaire’s satire of the same name. We’ve also included the exhilarating American In Paris by George Gershwin…listen for the taxi horns!
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)