About CUW's Instrumental Ensembles

The Music Department offers a wide variety of instrumental ensembles for students of all majors. Students have the opportunity to participate in up to two ensembles, with options including concert bands, pep band, jazz ensemble, and string and full orchestra. Instrumental students can also assist with worship in chapel and participate in other student and faculty led ensembles.

Our Directors Upcoming Events

Concert Band

Pep Band

Jazz Ensemble

Pep Band

Pep Band is the spirit behind sporting events. This 60-member group appears mainly at football and basketball games. From time to time, Pep Band will also add school spirit to other events to show Falcon support and pride. The CUW Drumline is a group of percussionists adding to the spirit behind the Pep Band.

University Band

University Band is an instrumental ensemble that gives students the opportunity to continue to use instrumental musical skills on campus in a concert band setting. UBand performs a repertoire of sacred and secular music at concerts throughout the academic year.

Jazz Ensemble

Jazz Ensemble is an intimate group of instrumentalists specializing in standard swing, bop, blues and rock music. Jazz Ensemble is comprised of 10-20 players, and is dedicated to providing entertainment for campus events including popular jazz lunches, visitation days, and concerts.

String Ensemble/Chamber Orchestra

String Ensemble/Chamber Orchestra is a group dedicated to standard quartet and quintet literature that performs for ceremonial and social events at Concordia. CUW strings have an opportunity for a unique educational experience. In addition to having the opportunity to study privately with some of the best free-lance string performers in Milwaukee, the fall semester ensemble provides a string quartet and string orchestra literature format which focuses on individual musicianship. The spring ensemble adds the requisite wind, brass and percussion members to form a fuller symphonic sound and ensemble experience.

Symphonic Wind Ensemble

Symphonic Wind Ensemble is the premier 60-piece instrumental ensemble of the university, which performs sacred and classical music from the standard wind repertoire. Every January, the group embarks on a week-long performance tour to various locations across the United States and abroad. Previous tours have included Hawaii, California, Germany/Austria, and Italy. SWE also performs at several on campus concerts throughout the year, and the group has recorded and released 10 albums. The ensemble has been recognized for its musical ability, as it has been invited to concert halls, schools, and churches across the country. In 2016, the ensemble was named as a semi-finalist in the American Prize for Outstanding Musicianship. This is an auditioned ensemble.

Recorded live from the Chapel of Christ Triumphant

The Directors

Dr. Louis Menchaca
Mrs. Johanna Anderson