About the Ensemble

Established in 2012, the North Suburban Wind Ensemble is the premiere wind ensemble in northern Illinois.

The group is comprised of adult musicians in the area, primarily band directors and private instructors, but anyone who performs at an advanced level is welcomes. The NSWE is led by Don Shupe, Libertyville High School band director emeritus, and Randy Sundell, Vernon Hills High School band director emeritus. Their years of experience on the podium have grown the ensemble into the powerhouse it is today.

What kind of music does the NSWE perform? Not only the band standards like Holst First Suite and the marches of John Philip Sousa, but up and coming composers like Yasuhide Ito and Viet Cuong. Over the years the band has played symphonies by David Maslanka, various concerti with soloists from the band as well as local high school students, and medleys of all sorts.

In addition to the three concerts the band presents every season, it also performs out in the community. In 2014 the NSWE played at the Stevenson Center for Democracy's Flag Day and Ravinia Night in Libertyville, IL. 2017 saw the band hosting Wood Oaks Jr. High in a joint concert, allowing the young musicians to experience band outside of a school setting. The NSWE was the featured guest ensemble in spring of 2018 at the Chicagoland Invitational held at Hersey High School, Arlington Heights, IL.

The North Suburban Wind Ensemble continues to push the musical envelope and welcomes all advanced musicians to join. If you're interested in auditioning for the band, please visit the Auditions page.