Instrumental Ensembles
Large Ensembles
Symphony Orchestra
The APU Symphony Orchestra repertoire includes a wide range of works, from Baroque
to U.S. and world premieres. The orchestra has performed symphonies by most major
composers including Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms,
Tchaikovsky. Dvorak, Bruckner, Mahler, Nielsen, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich.
The Symphony Orchestra has been honored with on-campus visits by some of today’s foremost composers including Steven Stucky, Anders Hillborg, and Brett Dean. Hillborg’s and Dean’s visits were done in partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. After performing the United States premiere of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s “Stockholm Diary,” the Los Angeles Times called the performance “compelling.”
In addition to standard and new repertoire, the APU Symphony also performs little known music from the past. In recent years, they performed the world premiere of “Symphony in A” (1878) by Leopold Damrosch, the West Coast premieres of the Villa-Lobos “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7” (1945) and Allan Pettersson’s “7th Symphony” (1968), the first U.S. performance in 60 years of Martinu’s “Intermezzo” (1950), and the first complete performance in the U.S. of a symphony by Danish composer Rued Langgaard (1893-1952). Their recording of the Damrosch Symphony and other of his works was internationally released on the UK-based label Toccata Classics in 2015. The APU Symphony Orchestra is only the second U.S.-based orchestra to appear on the label.
Wind Ensemble
Led by John Burdett, director of bands and instrumental studies, the Wind Ensemble
is the premiere winds, brass, and percussion ensemble in the Azusa Pacific University
School of the Arts.
For nearly two decades, the bands at Azusa Pacific University have been an important part of the development of the wind band community while providing experiences that development its members’ musicianship. The Wind Ensemble has performed commissions from notable composers, including Bill Connor and John Mackey, and have hosted prominent guest conductors, including Eric Whitacre and Frank Ticheli. Their current project: recording choral compositions set for wind band by Sir John Rutter, Z. Randall Stroope, and Kevin Memley, is being used by music publishers such as TRN and Imagine Publishing as source recordings for conductors and teachers throughout the world.
Selected by audition only, the Wind Ensemble consists of approximately 55 of the most exceptional graduate students and high achieving undergraduates within the School of the Arts. In addition to being led by Burdett, the graduate conducting associates pursuing their Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting often lead the Wind Ensemble in performing repertoire of traditional wind band masterworks and dynamic new compositions.
Alumni of the Wind Ensemble have gone on to successful careers and further graduate study in the wind band community, music education, music industry, and music profession at large through, teaching, conducting, composing, and performing.
Chamber Ensembles
Chamber Ensembles
APU School of the Arts students learn to perform chamber music in ensembles as an
essential step to becoming well-rounded musicians. Chamber ensembles in various instrumentation,
such as piano trios, wind quintets, brass quintets, and string quartets, study standard
chamber music repertoire in rehearsals and weekly coaching sessions. Student musicians
collaborate on developing interpretations of these great works under the direction
of their faculty coaches and under the leadership of Director of Chamber Music Marek
Szpakiewicz.
Guitar Ensemble
Although the guitar is unquestionably the most-used instrument in today’s commercial
music ensembles, the role of the guitarist can vary. The APU Guitar Ensemble is a
combination of undergraduate, graduate, and artist certificate students who perform
classical and commercial literature in a format that holds each section responsible
for reading specific parts on various areas of the fingerboard. The levels of musicianship
and knowledge of the fingerboard gained in this ensemble provide skill sets required
for professionalism in the future, regardless of style. It also presents an opportunity
for young composers and arrangers to write guitar-specific works to be performed.
The size of the ensemble can vary from an entire guitar orchestra to trio or quartet
arrangements for smaller groups. The guitar ensemble is led by adjunct professor Jose
Hernandez Vicente, MM.
Percussion Ensemble
Consisting of 8-12 players, this elite group of concert percussionists prepare and
perform the ever-expanding repertoire of chamber works composed and arranged solely
for percussion instruments. Directed by Bill Schlitt, the percussion ensemble is an
invaluable aspect of musical preparation for its members as they move on to graduate
schools and professional work.
Commercial Ensembles
Jazz Ensemble
The Azusa Pacific University Jazz Ensemble, directed by Robert Slack, MM, holds a reputation of professional-level performance and mastery in a broad spectrum
of big band jazz styles. As one of the premiere instrumental ensembles at APU, the
Jazz Ensemble keeps a busy schedule of performances that include award-winning appearances
at The Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival and the Reno International Jazz Festival.
Taking advantage of the proximity of Los Angeles the group often performs commissioned
works by some of the best known composers in Hollywood, and can frequently be found
in the studio, recording for some of those same composers. Placement in this group
is by audition only.
Studio Orchestra
The APU Studio Orchestra prepares students to successfully engage in the multifaceted musical activities like studio and live performance environments, composer readings, recording projects, and working with a variety of conductors to equip them with the broad palette of skills required of today’s professional instrumental performers. The Studio Orchestra is directed by Christopher Russell and is also led by students in the orchestral conducting program.