Winds, Brass & Percussion at Western
The Don Wright Faculty of Music offers woodwind, brass and percussion students diverse course options and performance opportunities including solo and studio recitals, weekly faculty-led masterclasses, ensembles, and competitions and awards including the Winds, Brass & Percussion Concerto Competition, Maritsa Brookes Concerto Competition, Young-Ja Park Chamber Music Competition and the London Music Scholarship Foundation Endowment Award.
Western Music also offers learning opportunities and masterclasses with international artists of renown.
The Music Building and Talbot College house over 100 practice rooms, studios, and large and small rehearsal spaces, plus three modern performance venues with concert pianos and state-of-the-art recording capabilities.
Western's Percussion Studio includes more than 2,400 square feet of teaching studios, rehearsal rooms, five large dedicated practice rooms and storage space.
Division Coordinator
Faculty
Woodwind Faculty Listing
Brass Faculty Listing
Percussion Faculty Listing
Programs
Undergraduate
BMus in Performance
BMus in Music Education
BA Honours Specialization in Music
BA Major in Music
BA Minor in Music
Minor in Music Performance Studies
Minor in Music
Concurrent Degrees
Music & Business (with Ivey Business School)
Graduate
MMus in Literature & Performance
DMA in Performance
Ensembles & Performance Groups
Chamber Music
Contemporary Music Studio
Early Music Studio
Jazz Ensemble
Opera
Percussion Ensemble
Symphonic Band
Symphony Orchestra
Wind Ensemble
Quick Links
Admissions Information
Ensembles Audition Information
Scholarships & Awards
Financial Aid & Competitions
MPS Handbook
Postcard
Download postcard (PDF)
In the Spotlight
October 2022
Congratulations to 2022-23 Winds, Brass & Percussion Concerto Competition award winner Biz Tucker, oboe
August 2022
Denis Jiron joins Western as professor of trombone
June 2022
Five students heading to Prague with WASBE's Youth Wind Orchestra
March 2022
Flute student Gillian Derer earns social media sponsorships
In Performance
Western University Wind Ensemble
“Polytechnique”, Jonathan Dagenais
Conductor, Dr. Colleen Richardson
Recorded in 2018
Symphonic Band
Excerpt from “Festivo”, Edward Gregson
Conductor, Nigel Evans
Recorded in 2019
Jazz Ensemble
“Vine Street Rumble”, Benny Carter
Conductor, Dr. Thompson
Recorded in 2019
Alumni of Note
Jayden Beaudoin, MMus'14
Percussionist with the Royal Canadian Artillery Band
Emily Bellman, BMus'14 (trumpet)
Member, The Stadacona Band of The Royal Canadian Navy
Brennan Connolly, BMus'08 & Dave Robilliard, BMus'04
Founded by Brennan Connolly (who is also an instructor at Wilfrid Laurier University) and Dave Robilliard, Duo Percussion was nominated in 2014 for “Best Percussion Ensemble” by DRUM! Magazine
Sarek Gutierrez, MMus'18
Adjunct Professor of Percussion, Our Lady of the Lake University and Texas A&M University, San Antonio
Jarrett McCourt, BMus'13 (tuba)
Named one of Canada’s “Hottest 30 Classical Musicians Under 30” by CBC Music in 2020; principal tuba, Winnipeg Symphony; New World Symphony alumni
Colin Williams, MMus,'17 (trumpet)
Member, The Royal Canadian Artillery Band
Jim Wiseman, BMus (Hons.)'13
Percussionist with the band Lost in Japan, winner of the 2021 Corus Entertainment Radio "Summer Song Contest", Free 98.1fm "Made in London" contest, Jim Beam "Make History Talent Search", and 2020 Forest City London Music Awards’ fan favourite award
