Symphonic Band
The Symphonic Band is an outstanding ensemble consisting of highly talented music majors, and non-majors selected by audition. Dr. Matthew O. Smith conducts the Symphonic Band. This ensemble performs a wide range of repertoire for large concert band including the finest band masterworks in a full schedule of concerts. The Symphonic Band meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-5:20 in the fall and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 2:00-3:50 in the spring.
How to Join
Membership in the Symphonic Band is by blind audition and is open to all qualified students at the university. Auditions take place the first week of classes in the fall and in November for the spring semester. They are heard by the conductors and the appropriate applied music professor.
Auditions consist of prepared excerpts and sight-reading. The prepared excerpts are available in the KU band office or may be downloaded here.
Spring 2019 Repertoire
- Bugler’s Holiday - Leroy Anderson
- Graceful Ghost Rag - William Bolcom
- Symphonic Dances from West Side Story - Leonard Bernstein/trans. Paul Lavender
- Concertpiece - James Curnow
- The Bicycle Shoppe - Lisa DeSpain
- “Nimrod" from Enigma Variations - Edward Elgar/Alfred Reed
- Spirit Sleeping: I. Pegasus - John Wesley Gibson
- Khan- Julie Giroux
- Spoon River - Percy Grainger
- Strange Humors - John Mackey
- Godspeed!- Stephen Melillo
- Into the Storm - Stephen Melillo
- Cathedrals - Kathryn Salfedler
- Trains of Thought - Alex Shapiro
- Into the Blue - Ingrid Stölzel
Fall 2018 Repertoire
- À La Machaut - Andrew Boss
- Diamond Tide - Viet Cuong
- Niagara Falls - Michael Daugherty
- Paris Sketches - Martin Ellerby
- Rush - Jonathan Leshnoff/Cicconi
- Novel Romance -Jonath an Newman (world premiere)
- My Eyes Are Full of Shadow - Joel Puckett
- The Sinfonians - Clifton Williams
Spring 2018 Repertoire
- Meditation - Barnes (world premiere)
- Slava! - Bernstein/Grundman
- Bulgarian Dances - Cesarini
- Vox Populi - Danielpour/Stamp
- Rolling Thunder - Fillmore
- Moorside March - Holst/Jacob
- This Cruel Moon - Mackey
- Nitro - Ticheli
- Mystic Warriors - Vizzuti
- Elegy for the Wall’s Unnamed - Walczyk
- The Banquet - Wilson
- Old Number One - Wilson
Fall 2017 Repertoire
- Meridian - Gjeilo
- Ye Banks and Braes O’ Bonnie Doon - Grainger
- Shepherd’s Hey - Grainger
- Second Suite in F - Holst
- This Cruel Moon - Mackey
- Dancing on Water - Ticheli
- Scarecrow Overture - Turrin
- Trauersinfonie - Wagner/Leidzen
- Symphonic Suite - Williams
Spring 2017 Repertoire
- Suite of Old American Dances - Bennett
- Redwood - George
- Masque - Hesketh
- Old Home Days - Ives/Elkus
- Instinctive Travels - Markowski
- Tears of St. Lawrence - Perrine
- Chester Overture for Band - Schuman
- Pequeña Suite para Banda - Serrano Alarcón
- Allerseelen - Strauss/Davis
- Under the Double Eagle - Wagner
Fall 2016 Repertoire
- Fantasia in G - Bach/Goldman & Leist
- all stars are love - Bryant
- Americans We - Fillmore
- First Suite in Eb - Holst
- Gloriosa - Ito
- Popcopy (Rated T) - McAllister
- Visionplace of Souls - Walczyk
Spring 2016 Repertoire
- Italian Wedding Song (world premiere) - Barnes
- Xerxes - Mackey
- Aegean Festival Overture - Makris/Bader
- Give Us This Day - Maslanka
- Emory's Barcarolle - Puckett
- Geoge Washington Bridge - Schuman
- The Invincible Eagle - Sousa
- Vesuvius - Ticheli
- Symphonic Dance #3, “Fiesta” - Williams
Fall 2015 Repertoire
- March for Band - Beecham
- Luminescence - Biedenbender
- Scenes from “The Louvre” - Dello Joio
- The Sussex Mummers’ Christmas Carol - Grainger/Goldman
- Southern Harmony - Grantham
- Overture to The Drum Major’s Daughter - Offenbach/Odom
- Shimmer - Perrine
Spring 2015 Repertoire
- Candide Suite - Bernstein/Grundman
- Vulcan - Daugherty
- Heart's Music - Diamond
- Porgy and Bess - Gershwin/Barnes
- One Life Beautiful - Giroux
- Aurora Awakes - Mackey
- The Valley of the Bells - Ravel/Hunsberger
- Moving Parts - Sampson
- Toccata Marziale - Vaughan Williams
Fall 2014 Repertoire
- Ecstatic Fanfare - Bryant
- Chant Funéraire - Fauré/Moss
- Riff Raff - George
- Zing! - McAllister
- Laudamus te - Maslanka
- Armenian Dances (Part One) - Reed
- English Folk Song Suite - Vaughan Williams
Spring 2014 Repertoire
- Night on Fire - Mackey
- Sleep, My Child - Whitacre/Gershman
- Samba Picante (flute solo) - Barnes (world premiere)
- Nobles of the Mystic Shrine - Sousa
- Niagara Falls - Daugherty
- Pageant - Persichetti
- Irish Tune from County Derry - Grainger
- The Gum-Suckers March - Grainger
- Overture to "La Forza del Destino" - Verdi/Lake:
- Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber - Hindemith/Wilson
Fall 2013 Repertoire
- Firefly - George
- Elegy for a Young American - Lo Presti
- Second Suite in F - Holst
- "Apollo Unleashed" from Symphony No. 2 - Ticheli
- Night on Fire - Mackey
- Be Thou My Vision - Gillingham
- Russian Christmas Music - Reed
Spring 2013 Repertoire
- Euphoria - Frantzen
- Hold This Boy and Listen - Pann
- Colors and Contours - Bassett
- Four Scottish Dances - Arnold/Paynter
- Canzon per Sonare No. 2 - Gabrieli
- Ego Sum Qui Sum - Gabrieli
- La Bergamasca - Viadana
- Aria Della Battaglia, part 2 - Padovana
- Rondino - Beethoven
- Carmen Fantaisie - Borne/Rogers
- Variants on a Medieval Tune - Dello Joio
- Rest - Ticheli
- Escenas de los Aztecas - Barnes
Fall 2012 Repertoire
- Quasar - Wannamaker
- Sea Songs - Vaughan Williams
- Lament - Koh
- Manhattan Beach - Sousa
- "Shall We Gather at the River" from Symphony No.IX - Maslanka
- Nocturne - David Dzubay
- Carmina Burana (Cantiones profanae) Suite - Orff/Krance
