Book the Winds

Clichés about classical music being stuffy fly out the window when the Renaissance City Winds breeze into town!  Passionate playing, innovative programming, and chatty verbal program notes create a friendly environment that involves audiences in the performance. Winds musicians believe strongly in developing audiences for the future through residencies, and enthusiastically work with presenters, schools, and senior centers in designing activities to meet the needs of each community (see residency section)

  • ensemble varies in size from 3 – 10 players to fit your budget and performing space
  • offerings feature soloists on harp, piano, voice, guitar, and hammer dulcimer, and a memorable poetry production by Samuel Hazo.
  • one of the few American ensembles touring with harmoniemusik, groups of 8-10 winds in pairs
  • wide variety of musical styles: Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic & contemporary
  • repertoire specialty is American music, from early 19th-century wind music to commissioned works

Programs available for touring from 2015 to 2017 are listed on the following three web pages:

1)  Large wind groups of 6-10 players, ideal for large halls (500-1100 seats) or outdoors
2)  Programs for wind quintet with a soloist
3)  Budget programs for 3-5 winds

For dates of availability, prices, and additional information, contact:

R. James Whipple, Artistic Director, The Renaissance City Winds
3333 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
email: rcw@carlow.edu
Phone: 412 / 681-7111

How to fund a performance of the Renaissance City Winds:

Art is wonderful, but it does cost money. The RCW staff does everything possible to work with presenters to make concerts and residencies affordable. To maximize your potential for fund raising, the Winds are:

  • a roster artist with the Arts-in-Education Program of the PA Council on the Arts
  • a member ensemble of Chamber Music America

Here’s where to go for support:

Sponsors of educational residencies throughout Pennsylvania (both arts councils and school districts) may apply for 10-30% funding through the Arts-in-Education program of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency. Project proposals are submitted to regional coordinators; for southwestern Pennsylvania, see the program guidelines at:
. . . pghartsmedia.org/artists-in-schools-and-communities/artist-residency/
Contact: Mary Brenholts at the Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media, 412-361-0455 x368 or email: mbrenholts@pghartsmedia.org.
For statewide guidelines visit http://www.pacouncilonthearts.org/aie or contact:

Jamie Dunlap, Program Director
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
216 Finance Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Phone: 717-525-5542
email: jadunlap@pa.gov

Presenters anywhere planning a public concert plus at least three days of residency activities may apply for a short-term residency grant from Chamber Music America’s Presenter-Community Residency Program, which can fund up to 75% of project cost. For guidelines and deadlines, visit www.chamber-music.org or contact:

Susan Dadian, Program Director
New York, NY
Phone: 212 / 242-2022, ext. 13
email: sdadian@chamber-music.org

Where we’ve been around Pennsylvania and nearby areas:

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