University of Nevada, Las Vegas Wind Orchestra

Although its parent institution is comparatively young -- the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, emerged as an independent institution only in 1969 -- the UNLV Wind Orchestra has established a reputation for innovation and high quality. The group has commissioned and premiered new works by numerous American composers, mostly young. The director of the UNLV Wind Orchestra since 1985 has been Thomas G. Leslie, who also serves as the school's Director of Wind Band Studies. The university hardly had a high national profile when Leslie arrived; friends asked Leslie whether he would have to live in a hotel on the city's famous gambling Strip, and he quipped that his students might find hotel employment as musicians and make a better salary than he did. However, the group developed rapidly, and in 1998, it released its first album, It Takes a Village..., with trademark cartoon artwork related to the works on the program. The UNLV Wind Orchestra has 60 members, composed of music majors, non-music majors, and select graduate students enrolled in master's and doctoral instrumental programs at the university. The group has also played host to various guest artists, including euphonium player Brian Bowman, saxophonist Eric Marienthal, and pianist Stefan Karlsson. The UNLV Wind Orchestra has traveled beyond Nevada to national and international events and conferences, including the American Bandmasters Association National Conference, the Hokkaido Band Association Wind Band Conference in Sapporo, Japan, and the La Croix Valmer International Music Festival in St. Tropez, France. Both the group's performances and its recordings have been distinguished by a strong commitment to contemporary music. The UNLV Wind Orchestra has commissioned and given the premieres of works by such American composers as Eric Whitacre, Wendell Yuponce, and Paul Seitz. The group has recorded more than 20 albums for the Klavier Records label but moved to Navona Records for the 2023 release Joe's Tango: Concerto for Trombone & Other Works, featuring veteran New York Philharmonic principal trombonist Joseph Alessi.
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