UNLV Wind Orchestra

Although the University of Nevada, Las Vegas achieved independent status only in 1969, the UNLV Wind Orchestra quickly earned acclaim for its inventive programming and polished execution. The ensemble has regularly commissioned and introduced new pieces by a wide array of mostly emerging American composers.

Thomas G. Leslie has led the UNLV Wind Orchestra since 1985 while also serving as the university’s Director of Wind Band Studies. At the time of his arrival the institution lacked widespread national recognition; acquaintances wondered whether he would reside in a hotel along the city’s celebrated gambling Strip, to which he replied that his students might secure musical jobs in those same hotels and earn more than he would. The ensemble advanced swiftly, issuing its debut recording, It Takes a Village..., in 1998, distinguished by its signature cartoon imagery tied to the program’s repertoire. Sixty players strong, the group comprises music majors, non-music majors, and carefully chosen graduate students pursuing master’s and doctoral instrumental degrees. It has welcomed guest performers such as euphonium player Brian Bowman, saxophonist Eric Marienthal, and pianist Stefan Karlsson.

Beyond Nevada, the UNLV Wind Orchestra has appeared at the American Bandmasters Association National Conference, the Hokkaido Band Association Wind Band Conference in Sapporo, Japan, and the La Croix Valmer International Music Festival in St. Tropez, France. Both its concerts and its discs reflect a sustained dedication to contemporary repertoire. The orchestra has commissioned and premiered works by American composers including Eric Whitacre, Wendell Yuponce, and Paul Seitz. Having produced more than twenty albums for Klavier Records, the group turned to Navona Records for the 2023 release Joe’s Tango: Concerto for Trombone & Other Works, which features veteran New York Philharmonic principal trombonist Joseph Alessi.