A wind orchestra, also known as a wind band, wind symphony, or wind ensemble, is a type of performing musical ensemble composed primarily of instruments from the woodwind, brass, and percussion families. Instruments not listed here, such as keyboard instruments or stringed instruments, are occasionally used, but they are far less common. Wind orchestras frequently perform both original compositions for the wind orchestra and arrangements of classical music or popular songs for the wind orchestra’s instrumentation.
Woodwind instruments like flutes, clarinets, and oboes, as well as brass instruments like trumpets, trombones, and tubas, are frequently featured in wind orchestras. A large percussion section can be used in the orchestra, with a variety of drums, cymbals, and pitched percussion instruments like the xylophone. Because the size and instruments of a wind orchestra can vary greatly, one instrument may often be substituted for another that is called for in the original composition but is not included in the orchestra.
The wind orchestra has its roots primarily in military music. Drums and horns have been used for thousands of years to quickly send signals, inspire soldiers in battle, and keep them moving at a consistent pace while on the march. European martial music developed over centuries as a result of a mix of native traditions and the influence of cultures with which European powers, particularly the Ottoman Empire, were frequently at odds. Many military bands began performing for kings and noblemen in addition to their more practical duties by the 1700s, and they became increasingly popular at ceremonial occasions.
In 1952, Frederick Fennell, an American conductor, founded the Eastman Wind Ensemble at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and popularized the idea of wind ensembles as a civilian music form, performing compositions written specifically for wind orchestra performances rather than military marches or arrangements of music written for a full symphony orchestra. The amount of music written specifically for the wind orchestra has increased dramatically since the middle of the twentieth century, though professional wind ensembles are still far less common than symphony orchestras. The Dallas Wind Symphony in Texas and the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra in Japan are two of the most well-known wind orchestras today.