San Antonio Youth Wind Ensemble Celebrates 10th Anniversary

The event features compositions by Modest Mussorgsky and Omar Thomas

The San Antonio Youth Wind Ensemble (SAYWE) will commemorate the 10th anniversary of its founding on Saturday, February 8, 2020 beginning at 7:00 pm, in the Watson Fine Arts Center, located at 1801 Martin Luther King Drive. The concert features two compositions, “Pictures at the Exhibition” and “Our New Day Begun.”

Since its inception in 2010, SAYWE has served as the premier honor wind ensemble for youth in San Antonio and surrounding communities. From its home at St. Philip’s College, the fully integrated performing arts program provides positive musical experiences for students between the ages of 12 and 20 years old. The ensemble was founded by Academy of Fine Arts Director, Nina McGrath and is under the leadership of music director and conductor, Roderick Leonard.

Students perform high-level wind ensemble literature that spans over diverse compositional periods. SAYWE participants serve as ambassadors of culture and youth performance for the City of San Antonio and the surrounding areas. As Ambassadors for St. Philip's College, SAYWE participates in performances held at San Antonio Pubic Libraries, San Antonio Grace Places and Ronald McDonald House of Charities locations.

The 2019-2020 season features a series of concerts that run from early December to the end of June. View the full schedule here. All SAYWE concerts are admission-free and open to the public. To learn more about the San Antonio Youth Wind Ensemble, click here.

About the San Antonio Youth Wind Ensemble: The San Antonio Youth Wind Ensemble (SAYWE) was founded in 2010 as the premier honor wind ensemble for youth in the San Antonio and surrounding areas. Its mission is to provide a positive musical experience for advanced instrumentalists in wind and percussion performance. The program serves as a supplement to the outstanding music education programs in the public and private schools in the region.