The Hendrix College Wind Ensemble
Dr. Gretchen Renshaw, Conductor  

The Wind Ensemble is composed of students from a wide variety of majors on campus. Rehearsals are Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:15-6:00 p.m. Drawing from symphonic band, wind ensemble, and chamber winds repertoire, the ensemble performs a variety of traditional and contemporary works. The Wind Ensemble performs four concerts annually.

See below for audition information, including scheduling and excerpts to prepare.

Upcoming Events

FALL 2025

Wednesday, August 27, 4:15-5:15 pm
Wind Ensemble Meeting
Staples Auditorium

Wednesday-Friday, August 27-29
Wind Ensemble Auditions
Miller Creative Quad 104

Saturday, October 11, 9:30 am
Homecoming & Family Weekend Concert
Staples Auditorium

Thursday, November 6, 7:30 pm
Your Brain on Art Concert
A joint performance of the Chamber Orchestra, Choir, and Wind Ensemble
Worsham Performance Hall

Sunday, November 9, 5:00 pm
Your Brain on Art Concert
A joint performance of the Chamber Orchestra, Choir, and Wind Ensemble
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville

Thursday, November 20, 7:30 pm
Fall Concert
Worsham Performance Hall

SPRING 2026

First week of classes
Wind Ensemble Auditions for New Members
Miller Creative Quad 104

Wednesday, January 21, 4:15-5:15 p.m.
Wind Ensemble Meeting
Staples Auditorium

Thursday, March 12, 7:30 p.m.
Spring Concert
Worsham Performance Hall

Monday, April 20, 6:30 p.m.
Concert in the Quad
Miller Creative Quad Courtyard (rain location: Staples Auditorium)

Check out the Hendrix College Wind Ensemble page on Facebook.

For more information, contact the conductor, Dr. Gretchen Renshaw. 

Fast Facts:

• Students earn .25 academic credit for each semester. As a result, students participating in Wind Ensemble for four semesters will receive the EA learning domain credit.
• Students earn one Odyssey Artistic Creativity credit through participation in Wind Ensemble in two semesters.
• To enroll, students must perform a brief audition and attend the first informational meeting (please see above).  After this meeting, the Music Department adds Wind Ensemble to your schedule – you do not register for Wind Ensemble through your advisor.

Recent Performances

SUSTAIN: A Wind Ensemble Concert and Sustainability Gallery
Featuring the Hendrix College Wind Ensemble
March 13, 2025

Your Brain on Art: A Multisensory Concert Experience
Featuring the Hendrix College Wind Ensemble and Printmaking Students
November 21, 2024

WE Contain Multitudes: Identity, Empathy, Belonging
Featuring:
Hendrix College Wind Ensemble
Eris DeJarnett, guest composer and performer
Hendrix College Printmaking Students
Hendrix College Faculty Panel Discussion
March 7, 2024

SUSTAIN: A Collaborative Concert and Sustainability Gallery
Digital Program Notes
Featuring the Hendrix College Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Printmaking Students
November 16, 2023

Auditions

Each student interested in performing with the Hendrix College Wind Ensemble will meet with the conductor to play a few short excerpts from the upcoming semester's repertoire. The purpose is for the conductor to learn about each student's musical background and determine part assignments.

Auditions occur at three times each academic year:

• Fall semester, first week of classes: for all students wanting to participate in Wind Ensemble during that Fall semester.
• Spring semester, first week of classes: for new members wanting to join Wind Ensemble for that Spring semester. Wind Ensemble members continuing from the Fall semester do NOT need to re-audition.
• Spring semester, last week of classes: for rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors wanting to participate in Wind Ensemble during the upcoming Fall semester. If students do not wish to or are unable to complete their audition at this time, they still have the option to perform their audition during the first week of classes of the upcoming Fall semester.

Audition Materials
In the Google Drive folder containing the audition music (see link below), please first read the document titled “READ FIRST” so you may see which excerpts to prepare for your instrument. Then, print and practice your excerpts prior to your audition. You should bring your printed excerpts to the audition with you.

Fall 2025 Audition Materials

Scheduling Your Audition:
1. Fill out the Wind Ensemble Sign-Up Form.
2. Sign up for an audition time on this spreadsheet.

For Auditions at the beginning of the Spring semester:
Contact Dr. Renshaw to schedule an audition time and to request audition excerpts.

Repertoire

To view the repertoire performed by the Hendrix College Wind Ensemble since 2005, click here.