In Living Color – Katahj CopleyJohn and Jim – Viet CuongBlue Shades – Frank TicheliTuttarana – Reena EsmailLux Aurumque – Eric WhitacreBamboo Shoots and City Streets – Benjamin R. BarkerGroovitude – Randall Standridge
Manhattan Wind Ensemble presents In Living Color!, a dynamic spring concert that pulses with energy, diversity, and raw expression. The program features works by modern, exciting living composers for wind ensemble repertoire: Katahj Copley, Frank Ticheli, Viet Cuong, Eric Whitacre, Reena Esmail, Benjamin R. Barker, and Randall Standridge. Bringing music to life as a living, breathing art form that is rich with contrast, movement, and color, this concert is a celebration of the human experience and captures both the vibrant community and shared connection of music.
Malagueña – Ernesto LecuonaEl Bateo – Frederico ChuccaGoyescas – Enrique GranadosRitmo Jondo – Carlos SurinachLa Mezquita de Córdoba – Julie GirouxThe Three-Cornered Hat – Manuel de FallaRitual Fire Dance – Manuel de Falla
Get ready for a night full of fiery rhythms and vibes that will make you dance non-stop!
The Flamenco Festival is committed to celebrating and preserving flamenco as a vibrant and evolving art form, one that transcends music and dance to express a deeply rooted cultural identity. This year’s program highlights the profound influence of New York City on flamenco’s global popularity, showcasing the dynamic intersection of Spanish and NYC cultural histories.
As part of the 2026 Flamenco Festival New York, the Manhattan Wind Ensemble will present a groundbreaking performance that reimagines flamenco through the lens of the wind ensemble. The program offers a unique multi-genre experience, blending classical wind ensemble music with flamenco rhythms and visual dance aesthetics. In honor of the 150th anniversary of his birth, this concert includes selections from Manuel de Falla’s incredible oeuvre as well as pieces from Frederico Chueca, Ernesto Lecuona, Enrique Granados, Carlos Surinach and Julie Giroux. We are also very excited to have Sonia Olla join us in dance, hailed by The New York Times as “a furnace of earthy sensuality”, she brings the fire to this packed programme.
This project is made possible in part with funds from Creative Engagement, a regrant program supported by the funding agencies the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and administered by LMCC.
Overture for Winds – Felix MendelssohnElsa’s Procession to the Cathedral – Richard WagnerToccata and Fugue in D Minor – J.S. BachNatural Selection – Paul Weinger (World Premiere)Second Suite in F – Gustav HolstGo BIG or Go HOME – Jessica MeyerThe Ash Grove – Tribute to Alan Gilbert
Join the Manhattan Wind Ensemble for an electric night of music! From Bach to brass band, each piece will have you on the edge of your seat!
This performance is a celebration of showmanship. Each piece pushes the dynamic and textural limits of wind band music. This is a concert that demands — and delivers — bravado.
Slava! – Leonard Bernstein (Arr. Clare Grundman)Soul to Soul – Quinn MasonDanzón no. 2 – Arturo Marquez (Arr. Oliver Nickel)Melodius Thunk – David BiedenbenderTraveler – David Maslanka
In our hearts, our minds, our souls We travel from life to life to life In time and eternity. -David Maslanka, program notes for Traveler
As the old traditional tune in Slava! passed on through Beethoven, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and others until Leonard Bernstein picked it up. As the love and passion for salon dances passed on to Arturo Marquez through his friends Andrés Fonseca and Irene Martínez. As the playfulness and brilliance of Thelonius Monk inspired David Biedenbender. As Quinn Mason was inspired by David Maslanka’s own reflections on our souls accumulating the past and projecting into the future. Whether through a tune, a rhythm, a dance, an idea, we live on through the people around us, and we in turn will be remembered. As a traveler in time and eternity. This performance by the Manhattan Wind Ensemble features works by Leonard Bernstein, Arturo Marquez, David Biedenbender, Quinn Mason and David Maslanka.
Windsprints – Richard SaucedoColonial Song – Percy Aldridge GraingerMary Shelley Meets Frankenstein – Erika SvanoeSpotlights – Thomas Doss (Featuring the MWE Sax Quartet with members Max Scheiber, Izzy Williams, Jonathan Illari, and Josh Lang)How to Train Your Dragon – John Powell/arr. Ton Van GrevenbroekShadow Rituals – Michael Markowski
The Manhattan Wind Ensemble brings to life dragons, Frankenstein and a wild and funky saxophone quartet in an imaginative and whimsical program titled Magic and Mystery. The performance will feature works by Richard Saucedo, Percy Grainger, Erica Svanoe, Thomas Doss, John Powell and Michael Markowski.
Esprit de Corps – Robert JagerDusk – Steven BryantDiamond Tide – Viet CuongAYO – Katahj CopleySouthern Harmony – Donald Grantham“March” from Symphonic Metamorphosis – Paul Hindemith
Join the Manhattan Wind Ensemble in its first concert of the season, Voices from Past to Present! This performance is a thematic journey in three parts: reflections of history, transition and change, and contemporary creativity.
Spring Festival – Chen Yi This Cruel Moon – John MackeyEquus – Eric WhitacreDragon Rhyme – Chen YiCome Drink One More Cup – Qian ChenAnimation (Episode 1: WABBIT!) – Randall Standridge
The Manhattan Wind Ensemble presents Year of the Dragon, a celebration of the Chinese zodiac. Set against the backdrop of New York’s vibrant cultural tapestry, this concert promises to take you on an enchanting journey through the stars, with each note embodying the spirit and characteristics of the zodiac’s astrological signs. From the powerful roar of the dragon to the graceful gallop of the horse, experience an unforgettable musical odyssey featuring pieces by Chen Yi, John Mackey, Eric Whitacre, Chen Qian, and more.
El Camino Real – Alfred ReedSin Límites – Madre Tierra – Sergio de Lope TrioSin Límites – Tangos del Buenro – Sergio de Lope TrioSin Límites – Candela – Sergio de Lope TrioSin Límites – Ser de Luz – Sergio de Lope TrioJoyride – Michael Markowski
“Sin Límites” is not just a concert; it’s a journey through the evolving landscape of music. Sergio de Lope’s vision of blending traditional flamenco with the rich textures of a wind ensemble comes to life in a performance that promises to be both innovative and mesmerizing. This concert is a testament to the power of music to cross boundaries and unite diverse audiences.
Overture to Candide – Leonard Bernstein, arr. Clare GrundmanOctober – Eric WhitacreLincolnshire Posy – Percy Aldridge GraingerAn American in Paris – George Gershwin, arr. Jerry BrubakerGive Us This Day – David Maslanka
Star Wars: The Mandalorian – Ludwig Göransson / arr. MurthaBarnum and Baily Favorites – Karl KingChoose Joy – Randall StandridgeJurassic Park Soundtrack Highlights – John Williams / arr. Lavender
