Birmingham Symphonic Winds (BSW) is a UK-based amateur wind orchestra

Concert band

A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...

 in the style of the Eastman Wind Ensemble

Eastman Wind Ensemble

The Eastman Wind Ensemble is an American concert band founded by Frederick Fennell at the Eastman School of Music in 1952. It is often credited with helping popularize wind music. Through the group, Fennell redefined wind ensemble to refer to a specific kind of wind band with only one player per...

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BSW was established in 1992 by its Musical Director, Keith Allen, with the aim of offering local players the opportunity to perform hiqh-quality wind repertoire and contemporary compositions. It promotes its own themed concert series at the CBSO Centre

CBSO Centre

The CBSO Centre is the administrative home and rehearsal centre of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Choruses , and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group on the corner of Berkley Street and Holliday Street, in Birmingham, England.It...

, Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. The Orchestra's current chief executive, appointed in 1999, is Stephen Maddock...

, and has performed numerous UK and world premieres, including works by Samuel Hazo

Samuel Hazo

Samuel Robert Hazo is an American composer of primarily music for concert band.-Career:Samuel R. Hazo resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife and children. In 2003, Mr. Hazo became the first composer in history to be awarded the winner of both composition contests sponsored by the...

, Philip Sparke

Philip Sparke

Philip Sparke is a British composer and musician. He is noted for his concert band and brass band music.- Music for Winds :* 1973/1976 Gaudium* 1975 The Prizewinners for Brass-Band* 1978/1995 Fantasy for Euphonium...

, Martin Ellerby

Martin Ellerby

Martin Ellerby is an English composer. He was educated at the Royal College of Music, London, where he was taught by Joseph Horovitz....

, Kenneth Hesketh

Kenneth Hesketh

Kenneth Hesketh is a British composer of contemporary classical music in numerous genres including opera, orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo...

 and Guy Woolfenden

Guy Woolfenden

Guy Anthony Woolfenden OBE is an English composer and conductor.-Biography:Woolfenden was born in Ipswich and educated at Westminster Abbey Choir School, London, and Whitgift School, Croydon. He studied music at Christ's College in Cambridge and went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music...

, the orchestra's patron

Patrón

Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...

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BSW has performed at UK and international music festivals, including the National Concert Band Festival, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) conference in Schladming, Austria and the 4th International Wind Band Festival in Strasbourg. BSW was the first ever UK ensemble to perform at the Midwest Clinic, Chicago in December 2003. BSW also performed at the WASBE Conference in Killarney, Ireland in July 2007.