Dr. Fred Harris, Jr., Music Director 

Kenneth Amis, Assistant Conductor

 

MIT Wind Ensemble may be taken for credit:  21M.426

You are encouraged to take MITWE for credit, but it is not necessary in order to participate.

 

ABOUT THE MIT WIND ENSEMBLE 

Founded by Music Director Dr. Frederick Harris, Jr. in the fall of 1999, the MIT Wind Ensemble (MITWE) is one of the most innovative such ensembles of its kind. Comprised primarily of outstanding MIT undergraduates and graduate students studying a wide range of disciplines within science, engineering, and the humanities. Repertoire includes outstanding traditional works and new music for full wind ensemble, chamber winds, brass ensemble, percussion ensemble, and woodwind ensembles. MITWE has commissioned 45 original works from many prominent composers. MIT Affiliated Artist, renowned composer, and tuba player of the Empire Brass, Kenneth Amis, is the Assistant Conductor of MITWE. 

MITWE has been featured on NPR and was the subject of the 2014 Emmy-winning documentary Awakening: Evoking the Arab Spring Through Music, aired on PBS. MITWE is also featured in the 2019 Emmy-nominated documentary The Great Clarinet Summit, and Call and Response: Creativity at MIT.  MITWE’s joint recording with the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble, Infinite Winds, received a five-star review from DownBeat and was chosen by the magazine as one of its “Best Albums of 2015 Five-Star Masterpieces” — the first such recognition of its kind for a collegiate wind ensemble. The Boston Globe called the recording “one of the most compelling of 2015.”  

Throughout its 21-year history, MITWE has collaborated with elementary, middle and high school students throughout Massachusetts. In March of 2019, MITWE embarked on its first tour, spending a week in the Dominican Republic, presenting four concerts, many STEAM presentations for middle, high school and college students, and premiering the eco-music piece In Praise Of The Humpback.   

In May of 2020, MITWE had the honor of opening MIT’s virtual Commencement with To The Light, To The Flame. MITWE also participated in MIT’s 2021 virtual Commencement, performing Diary Of A Pandemic Year.

In March 2023 the MIT Wind Ensemble, along with the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble and MIT Vocal Jazz Ensemble, toured and performed in the Brazilian Amazon. The project was focused on cultural and environmental sustainability and music's power as a vehicle for change.

 

REHEARSALS

M/W, 7-9:30pm, Kresge Auditorium

 

CONCERTS

Fall 2025

  • October 24 - 8pm - MIT's Annual Family Weekend Concert
  • December 8 - 8pm - 11th Annual PRISM Concert Spectacular!

 

AUDITIONS SPRING 2025

Fall 2025 auditions for MIT Wind Ensemble for any potential new members are by appointment anytime from August 24 through September 5th.

Contact Dr. Harris at fharris@mit.edu to set up an audition. 

 

MITWE is comprised of MIT undergraduate and graduate students but all local college students, MIT community members, and non-MIT community members are welcome to audition.  The audition will take approximately 15 minutes.  Pianists, string bassists, and harpists interested in participating in MITWE should Dr. Harris directly.

First MITWE rehearsal of the Fall semester will be Monday, September 8, 7:00-9:30pm, Kresge Auditorium.
 

 There are three parts to the audition:

1.  Chromatic scale through your entire range.

2.  Sight-reading.

3.  Two short contrasting sections of any solo(s) or etude(s) of your choice that demonstrate your musicianship. Your choices should include passages that are slow and lyrical and ones that demonstrate your technical facility.  

(Percussionists, NOTE: For this portion of the audition — the prepared piece of our choice —  you are encouraged (but not required) to play at least two of the three major percussion instruments (timpani, mallet instrument, snare drum). Timpani auditions will include basic tuning, snare drum auditions will include basic rudiments, and mallet auditions will include scales).

 

If you have any questions about auditions/MITWE in general, contact Dr. Fred Harris (fharris@mit.edu). If you need access to an instrument, fill out the Instrument Request Form, then contact the MTA Events Office (mta-request@mit.edu). 

 

Note: students who register for an audition and need access to the MTA 4-260 practice room suite during the week leading up to auditions, may request access by emailing mta-request@mit.edu. Percussionists will be given access to the Kresge Percussion Studio, and must also request access by emailing mta-request@mit.edu.