The Western Wind is dedicated to the art of vocal ensemble singing. Since 1969, it has presented a unique repertoire including Medieval and Renaissance music, early Baroque, early American, Romantic, Judaica as well as folk, Jazz and pop. The Western Wind has also commissioned works from living composers including William Bolcom, Bobby McFerrin Meredith Monk, Charlie Morrow, Ron Gold, Philip Glass, Tania León, Robert Dennis, James Bassi, Michel Camilo, Lisa Bielawa, Eric Salzman and others.

Description and/or History:
The Western Wind accomplishes its purpose in the following ways:

A self-produced series in New York City.
Appearances on concert and college venues throughout the United States and abroad
Performances with orchestras and other performing organizations

Arts In Education Programs for NYC public school students

Intensive workshops in ensemble singing at Smith College and and at other venues which attract participants from all around the world

Radio programs for public radio produced in collaboration with National Public Radio and Public Radio International

Recordings

Publications

THE WESTERN WIND VOCAL ENSEMBLE
Since 1969, the internationally acclaimed vocal sextet, The Western Wind, has devoted itself to the special beauty and variety of a cappella music. The ensemble’s repertoire reveals the diverse background of its members: from Renaissance motets to Fifties rock’n’roll, from medieval carols to jazz standards, from complex works by avant-garde composers to the simplest folk melodies.

WESTERN WIND PERFORMANCES AND RECORDINGS
In the United States, Western Wind has appeared in many distinguished venues, including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, ArtPark, Ordway Theater, the Metropolitan Museum, the Frick Museum, the Jewish Museum, Folger Shakespeare Library, Library of Congress, and Cleveland Museum of Art.

The ensemble has been a favorite of the American Choral Directors Association. During 2000, the group was featured in two ACDA regional division conventions (Eastern Division in Maryland and Midwestern Division in Nebraska), and through the years has performed for four ACDA state conventions (Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana) as well as at the national convention. The Western Wind also sang for the 1996 New York State School Music Association convention.
In Europe, the sextet appeared at the Geneva Opera in January 1999, performing two works it commissioned: Batéy by Tania León and Michel Camilo, and De Orishas by Tania León. From 1980-1985, The Western Wind recorded early and contemporary American vocal music for the West German National Radio (WDR) at Cologne, and made several triumphant tours of northern Italy, performing Italian Renaissance as well as American music. The group has appeared with the RAI Orchestra and Chorus of Rome at the Rome Opera and at Venice’s legendary opera house, La Fenice. In 1985, The Western Wind premiered Cesar Franck’s opera, Stradella, for La Fenice in an outdoor Venetian setting. At the request of the State Department (USIA), The Western Wind has also performed American and Latin American music throughout East Asia.

During the 2007-2008 season, The Western Wind won the ASCAP-Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music. In addition to their many live performances, the unique sound of Western Wind may be heard on radio, television, film, and CD. A series of public radio holiday specials by The Western Wind has been broadcast nationwide since 1989, and the group has been televised on The Today Show (NBC). On film, the ensemble sings music by Philip Glass in the movies Koyaanisqatsi (Nonesuch Records) and Candyman.

The Western Wind’s award-winning recordings are distributed by several record labels. A complete list of recordings is found at the end of this program. Leonard Nimoy is the featured narrator on The Birthday of The World: Music and Traditions of the High Holy Days, Parts I and II. Songs by David Darling, Tania León, and Michel Camilo are featured on Blessings and Batéy.

Contact person: William Zukof, Executive Director, (212) 873-2848, (email)

Address:

263 West 86th Street 3rd Floor New York, NY 10024 (See a map)

Directions:

Take #1 IRT to 86th Street and B'way. Walk 1/2 block west. The Western Wind office is on the third floor of the Church of Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, 263 West 86th Street, between B'way and West End Avenue. Use the side entrance on 86th street. There is an elevator to the third floor.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: #1, 86th Street Stop,   Walk distance (in minutes): 2   Nearest Bus Stop: M104 86th Street and B'way, 2 minute walk