The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Wind Symphony will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City, the first Carnegie Hall performance for the university's music department.
The 54 musicians will present a 45-minute showcase concert on March 9 to anchor the five-day New York Wind Band and Orchestra Festival. Four high school ensembles will also take part in the festival and its education sessions.
Wind Symphony director Dr. John R. Stewart said other UW-Eau Claire ensembles have played at the Kennedy and Lincoln centers, but not at Carnegie Hall. Alumna Erika Svanoe, a 1999 music education graduate, has agreed to compose a new fanfare for the occasion, titled Strive: A Fanfare for Excellence.
The performance is the second major New York announcement for UW-Eau Claire music this month. The Blugold Marching Band has also been invited to take part in the 2027 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, meaning hundreds of students are set to perform in New York in 2027.
A 1973 alumnus, RG Conlee, has pledged up to $25,000 in matching gifts to help fund the Carnegie Hall trip, Stewart said. Along with the performance, students are expected to see a Broadway show, work with high school music students in Brooklyn and visit Ellis Island during the trip.
