Wichita State Wind Ensemble enters the spring season with fresh music

Garima Thapa

Timothy Shade, conductor for the Wind Ensemble, director School of Music and director of Bands, uses his baton to conduct the concert on Feb. 17. The ensemble played four pieces.

Peyton Eck, Photographer • February 22, 2026

The Wichita State Wind Ensemble held its first concert of the 2026 calendar year Tuesday at the Miller Concert Hall in the Duerksen Fine Arts Center.

The ensemble performed a four-part show that involved a comparatively new selection of music, according to Timothy Shade, director of bands at WSU and the wind ensemble’s conductor.

“As you look at your programs, and you recognize those names, you win!” Shade said.

The wind ensemble differs from Wichita State’s other concert band — the symphonic band — in format and member make-up. In wind ensemble, each part has one player, while the symphonic band has multiple musicians to a part.

History of the Symphonic Bands

The band formally opened its 123rd academic year in September. Both the wind ensemble and the symphonic band found their origin in 1902 when the university was still known as Fairmount College. The Music Department was established that year, and with it, department-sponsored ensembles as well as associated student-community groups.
In 1902, the academic bands of the time were closer in structure to modern symphonic bands.
Prior to Dr. Shade’s presence as director, the group that is now the wind ensemble was referred to as the “Symphonic Wind Ensemble.” The now symphonic band was called the “Concert Band.”
The distinction “wind ensemble” is new, with the current band names being from 2017 when Dr. Shade felt the new titles would help clarify their respective focuses. The existence of the term is relatively new as well, with Frederick Fennell’s Eastman Wind Ensemble being credited for redefining modern wind music in North America in the 1950s. Read more about the EWE here.

At WSU, the School of Music prioritizes inclusion in its bands and recruits many members with majors outside of music, according to the university band page. The wind ensemble, however, is primarily made up of undergraduate and graduate students of the music school who are honing their professional skills.

Due to the nature of the wind ensemble, Shade said the selection of music performed (or “repertoire”) can be difficult to choose for a concert.

“What do we need at this time, and what’s available to us, and how do things fit together?” Shade said. “It’s not as thematic. Sometimes a theme emerges, but I don’t try and adhere to one.”

The ensemble also plays more contemporary pieces than the symphonic band, this performance being a clear example.

“I’m very concerned about the audience going, ‘I don’t want to come to your concerts, Tim, because I don’t recognize anything on your program.’ So I try and balance it as much as possible, yet again, with our students because of my focus as academics,” said Dr. Shade.

Opening with Bakhari S. Nokuri’s lively “Afrospire,” the ensemble then transitioned into the heavier tones of “Bury and Rise” by Catherine Likhuta.

Steven Bryant’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay” provided catharsis with its flourishing and nostalgic sound, tying Likhuta’s work to the closing piece “Khaen” by Viskamol Chaiwanichsiri. ”Khaen” sealed the evening with an optimistic note in its light-footed, galloping pace.

The wind ensemble will return April 14, with the symphonic band next performing March 5. Further performance scheduling can be found on the School of Music’s WSU page.

About the Contributors

Peyton Eck, Multimedia Reporter

Peyton Eck is a second-year multimedia reporter for The Sunflower. Eck is a sophomore majoring in communications. They hope to work in publishing after college. Their pronouns are they/them.

Garima Thapa, Senior Photographer

Garima Thapa was the photo editor for The Sunflower during the 2024-2025 year. Thapa is in their senior year at Wichita State, studying communications.