Triangle Wind Ensemble
  • Home
  • About Us
    • What is a Wind Ensemble?
    • Meet the Ensemble
    • TWE For All
    • Photos
    • TWE in the Time of COVID
  • Concerts
    • Heroes & Villains - May 25, 2025 >
      • Heroes & Villains Concert Program
    • Past Concerts >
      • Voices - April 26, 2025 >
        • Voices Concert Program
      • Music for a Lifetime - February 20, 2025
      • The Snowman & Other Holiday Favorites - December 15, 2024 >
        • The Snowman 2024 Concert Program
      • Masquerade - November 17, 2024 >
        • Masquerade Concert Program
      • 2023-2024 Concert Season >
        • The Music of John Williams - May 26, 2024 >
          • The Music of John Williams 2024 Concert Program
        • Lightscapes - April 28, 2024 >
          • Lightscapes Concert Program
        • Music in Motion - February 11, 2024 >
          • Music in Motion Concert Program
        • The Snowman - December 10, 2023 >
          • The Snowman Concert Program
        • Soundscapes - November 12, 2023 >
          • Soundscapes Concert Program
      • 2022-2023 Concert Season >
        • The Music of John Williams - May 28, 2023
        • Latin Landscapes - April 16, 2023 >
          • Latin Landscapes Concert Program
        • The Snowman - December 11, 2022 >
          • TWE Concert Program — December 11, 2022
        • Come Sunday - November 13, 2022 >
          • Come Sunday Concert Program
      • 2021-2022 Concert Season >
        • An American Celebration - The Music of Disney - May 29, 2022 >
          • TWE Concert Program - May 29, 2022
        • Voices - March 27, 2022 >
          • Voices Concert Program
        • The Snowman - December 12, 2021 >
          • The Snowman Concert Program
        • NCMEA Performance - November 7, 2021 >
          • NCMEA Concert Program
      • 2020-2021 Concert Season >
        • An American Celebration - Back in Action- May 30, 2021 >
          • Program Notes — Back in Action
      • 2019-2020 Concert Season >
        • An American Celebration - The Music of Disney - May 24, 2020
        • Voices - April 4, 2020
        • Around the World - February 16, 2020
        • The Snowman - December 15, 2019
        • Across the Divide at Campbell University - November 19, 2019
        • Across the Divide - November 23, 2019
      • 2018-2019 Concert Season >
        • Masks and Machines - November 9, 2018
        • Music For a Lifetime - March 19, 2019
        • Sheltering Sky - 20th Anniversary Concert - April 13, 2019
        • An American Celebration Through Time & Space - May 26, 2019
      • 2017-2018 Concert Season >
        • An American Celebration Salute to the Cinema - May 27, 2018
        • Spanish Spring / Primavera Español - April 14, 2018
        • Music for a Lifetime - March 15, 2018
        • 'Tis the Season - December 11, 2017
        • SOS! Surprising Overtures and Symphonies - November 18, 2017
      • 2016-2017 Concert Season >
        • An American Celebration - May 28, 2017
        • Tradewinds - April 23, 2017
        • Music in Motion - January 28, 2017
        • 'Tis the Season - December 10, 2016
        • Odysseys - November 12, 2016
      • 2015-2016 Concert Season >
        • Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue - May 29, 2016
        • Poetry In Motion - April 9, 2016
        • Music for a Lifetime - March 11, 2016
        • 'Tis the Season - December 11, 2015
        • Wanderlust - November 21, 2015
      • 2014-2015 Concert Season >
        • Pops in the Park - June 12, 2015
        • An American Celebration - At the Movies - May 24, 2015
        • Symphonies for Winds - April 11, 2015
        • Build-A-Band - February 8, 2015
        • 'Tis The Season - December 12, 2014
        • Luminescence - November 1, 2014
      • 2013-2014 Concert Season >
        • Pops in the Park - June 13, 2014
        • An American Celebration - May 25, 2014
        • Latin Landscapes - April 27, 2014
        • Music for a Lifetime - March 25, 2014
        • Invitation to the Dance(s) - February 11, 2014
        • Happy Holidays - December 15, 2013
        • Shout For Joy - November 15, 2013
      • An American Celebration 2013
  • Sponsors
  • Listen
  • Join
  • Sheltering Sky Animation
  • Contact

What is a Wind Ensemble?

​If asked to think about the word "orchestra", a fairly clear picture probably pops into most people's minds as to what that actually means: people in tuxedos or black dresses with violins, cellos, and a whole bunch of other instruments, probably playing a symphony by Beethoven on a big stage. While certainly a stereotypical description that doesn't encompass every aspect of what great symphonies actually do, people actually know what an orchestra is, even if they've never seen or heard one in person.

One of the challenges that we have as a wind ensemble is that there isn't the same kind of broad cultural knowledge about what a wind ensemble actually is. We would love to change that.

So, what actually is a wind ensemble?
One of the simplest descriptions we use is this: It's basically what happens when you take a full orchestra and omit the violins, violas, cellos, and most of the basses. We do keep all the wind instruments though: piccolos, flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, trumpets, trombones, baritones, euphoniums, and tubas. The full percussion section stays as well, complete with timpani, piano, and often even a harp. To the mix also gets added a full complement of saxophones, which hadn't even been invented when Beethoven composed. This standard wind ensemble instrumentation was only really established back in 1952, when the Eastman Wind Ensemble was founded at the Eastman School of Music. 

Like a chef who can suddenly cook with spices other than just salt and pepper or a painter who gains access to a vibrant new pigment, composers have made incredible music since then by taking full advantage of the rich variety of sounds that become available once wind instruments are untethered from an orchestral strings section. While we do occasionally play transcriptions of orchestral works, we truly love performing music that has been written specifically for wind ensemble, and we hope to share that wonderful music with our community.

The playlist to the right contains recordings of us performing several original wind ensemble compositions. If you like what you hear, please come to one of our concerts and hear us live!
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Copyright © 2025 Triangle Wind Ensemble

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Triangle Wind Ensemble
PO Box 701
​Cary, NC 27512

919.960.1893
​[email protected]
  • Home
  • About Us
    • What is a Wind Ensemble?
    • Meet the Ensemble
    • TWE For All
    • Photos
    • TWE in the Time of COVID
  • Concerts
    • Heroes & Villains - May 25, 2025 >
      • Heroes & Villains Concert Program
    • Past Concerts >
      • Voices - April 26, 2025 >
        • Voices Concert Program
      • Music for a Lifetime - February 20, 2025
      • The Snowman & Other Holiday Favorites - December 15, 2024 >
        • The Snowman 2024 Concert Program
      • Masquerade - November 17, 2024 >
        • Masquerade Concert Program
      • 2023-2024 Concert Season >
        • The Music of John Williams - May 26, 2024 >
          • The Music of John Williams 2024 Concert Program
        • Lightscapes - April 28, 2024 >
          • Lightscapes Concert Program
        • Music in Motion - February 11, 2024 >
          • Music in Motion Concert Program
        • The Snowman - December 10, 2023 >
          • The Snowman Concert Program
        • Soundscapes - November 12, 2023 >
          • Soundscapes Concert Program
      • 2022-2023 Concert Season >
        • The Music of John Williams - May 28, 2023
        • Latin Landscapes - April 16, 2023 >
          • Latin Landscapes Concert Program
        • The Snowman - December 11, 2022 >
          • TWE Concert Program — December 11, 2022
        • Come Sunday - November 13, 2022 >
          • Come Sunday Concert Program
      • 2021-2022 Concert Season >
        • An American Celebration - The Music of Disney - May 29, 2022 >
          • TWE Concert Program - May 29, 2022
        • Voices - March 27, 2022 >
          • Voices Concert Program
        • The Snowman - December 12, 2021 >
          • The Snowman Concert Program
        • NCMEA Performance - November 7, 2021 >
          • NCMEA Concert Program
      • 2020-2021 Concert Season >
        • An American Celebration - Back in Action- May 30, 2021 >
          • Program Notes — Back in Action
      • 2019-2020 Concert Season >
        • An American Celebration - The Music of Disney - May 24, 2020
        • Voices - April 4, 2020
        • Around the World - February 16, 2020
        • The Snowman - December 15, 2019
        • Across the Divide at Campbell University - November 19, 2019
        • Across the Divide - November 23, 2019
      • 2018-2019 Concert Season >
        • Masks and Machines - November 9, 2018
        • Music For a Lifetime - March 19, 2019
        • Sheltering Sky - 20th Anniversary Concert - April 13, 2019
        • An American Celebration Through Time & Space - May 26, 2019
      • 2017-2018 Concert Season >
        • An American Celebration Salute to the Cinema - May 27, 2018
        • Spanish Spring / Primavera Español - April 14, 2018
        • Music for a Lifetime - March 15, 2018
        • 'Tis the Season - December 11, 2017
        • SOS! Surprising Overtures and Symphonies - November 18, 2017
      • 2016-2017 Concert Season >
        • An American Celebration - May 28, 2017
        • Tradewinds - April 23, 2017
        • Music in Motion - January 28, 2017
        • 'Tis the Season - December 10, 2016
        • Odysseys - November 12, 2016
      • 2015-2016 Concert Season >
        • Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue - May 29, 2016
        • Poetry In Motion - April 9, 2016
        • Music for a Lifetime - March 11, 2016
        • 'Tis the Season - December 11, 2015
        • Wanderlust - November 21, 2015
      • 2014-2015 Concert Season >
        • Pops in the Park - June 12, 2015
        • An American Celebration - At the Movies - May 24, 2015
        • Symphonies for Winds - April 11, 2015
        • Build-A-Band - February 8, 2015
        • 'Tis The Season - December 12, 2014
        • Luminescence - November 1, 2014
      • 2013-2014 Concert Season >
        • Pops in the Park - June 13, 2014
        • An American Celebration - May 25, 2014
        • Latin Landscapes - April 27, 2014
        • Music for a Lifetime - March 25, 2014
        • Invitation to the Dance(s) - February 11, 2014
        • Happy Holidays - December 15, 2013
        • Shout For Joy - November 15, 2013
      • An American Celebration 2013
  • Sponsors
  • Listen
  • Join
  • Sheltering Sky Animation
  • Contact