Founded in 1898, the Wartburg College Concert Bands program is comprised of two ensembles —the Symphonic Band and the Wind Ensemble, the premiere concert band at Wartburg College, who tours domestically every year and internationally every three years. Placement in the groups is determined by a yearly audition. Both groups represent students of all class standings and nearly all academic majors. T
he bands present joint and individual concerts throughout the year. Many of its members are also involved in other music groups on campus, ranging from choirs to jazz bands, from campus ministry to student government. The Wind Ensemble tours each spring and schedules an international tour every third year during Wartburg’s one-month May Term. In the spring of 2003, the Wind ensemble performed at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. The group toured Europe in 1997, 2001, 2004, and 2010, Japan in 2007 and China and Japan in 2013. The Symphonic Band performs several concerts during the year, but does not tour. Both groups represent students of all class standings and nearly all academic majors on campus. The two bands present both joint and individual concerts throughout the year.
