Renaissance City Wind Music Society

The Renaissance City Winds have researched and commissioned a large amount of unique repertoire over the years which is in the process of being recorded. Two recordings are released: on Elan, Nancy Galbraith's Rhythms and Rituals, commissioned for RCW's 20th anniversary in 1985. This recording was selected by Chamber Music Magazine as one of the "200 most representative chamber music compositions of the 20th century." On Centaur, a complete CD of German Romantic music; at least two of the three works were world premiere recordings. Next: three works of United States composers from the period 1880-1930, two of them world premiere recordings.

The Renaissance City Winds have been working in schools since 1975. Their residencies, where they work in a single school or district for a period ranging from several days to a complete semester, give students the opportunity to develop their skills through repeated contact with the professional musicians. RCW provides instrumental master classes; chamber music coaching; lecture-demonstrations on the elements of music or how to listen to "classical" music; arts integration presentations on the physics of music and American music; and a unique composition program which results in collaborative compositions that are played by RCW, student chamber ensembles, and school bands, orchestras, and choruses. RCW has been a juried roster artist with Pennsylvania's Arts-in-Education program for over twenty years.

Founded in 1975 just as the country was gearing up for the BiCentennial, American music has always played a central role in the Winds' programming. The Winds have commissioned over twenty works by composers including Robert Washburn and Victoria Bond. They have felt it especially important to support composers living in western Pennsylvania, with commissions awarded to Roland Leich, Thomas Janson, Joseph Wilcox Jenkins, Nancy Galbraith, Efraín Amaya, and R. James Whipple, a member of the ensemble. From 2001 to 2005 the Winds were a partner in Meet The Composer's Pittsburgh New Residency, in which Amaya and Whipple wrote dozens of pieces for the Winds in partnership with WQED-FM, Gateway to the Arts, and Shaler Area School District. Future commission project for fundraising: for Chinese-American composer Joan Huang to write a work for wind quintet and erhu, to be premiered with Karen Han. In addition to commissions, the group has premiered dozens of works of other American composers, and given many of those SECOND performances that are so important to composers. The group revived notable works by Vincent Persichetti and Roy Harris, and gave the North American premiere of English composer Phyllis Tate's song cycle for baritone, winds, and harp.

The Renaissance City Winds serves the eastern United States (currently, ten states) through touring concerts and residencies. In its octet/double quintet configuration, it is one of only two or three American ensembles offering this programming in most seasons. This program is ideal for large or outdoor venues. The most common programs hired on tour are for wind quintet plus a soloist on voice, piano, guitar, harp, trumpet, pipe organ, etc. and often feature a theme (women composers, compositions based on folk music). Chamber music is the most cost-efficient way for classical and contemporary chamber music to reach small towns and rural communities, and RCW has identified these as a priority. By being a member of Chamber Music America, the Winds can assist community presenters in attracting funding to pay for concerts and residencies. Residencies may involve local elementary and secondary schools, college students, or residents of retirement communities This activity is fee-based and is self-supporting on RCW's books. However, donors with interest in a particular geographical area may wish to support the local presenter hiring RCW for public concerts or school residencies in that area.