Ensembles in Residence

SUNY Schenectady hosts two ensembles, The Capital Region Wind Ensemble, a wind ensemble, and the Musicians of Ma'alwyck, a chamber ensemble.

The Capital Region Wind Ensemble

CRWE History and Mission

The Capital Region Wind Ensemble (CRWE) was founded in 1994 with the intent of providing a vehicle for professional wind and percussion players to perform concert band and wind ensemble literature at a high level. The CRWE is dedicated to serving the community by providing outstanding performances of classical and contemporary band literature and by serving as role models for young student musicians.

Once a year, the CRWE invites selected high school students to perform with the ensemble and participate in master classes with guest soloists.

Many CRWE members teach or have taught in school districts throughout the Capital Region. Members also perform professionally with regional ensembles including the Albany, Schenectady, and Glens Falls Symphony Orchestras. CRWE members are often heard at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Proctor’s Theatre and other local theaters; and with groups from the area pop and jazz scene, including the Empire Jazz Orchestra.

Brett Wery is the Principal Conductor of the CRWE. He assumed the duties in 2003 when founder, Joseph Miller stepped down from the position. Mr. Wery is a retired Dean of the School of Music at SUNY Schenectady County Community College. He was a recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2003, as well as the SUNY Schenectady Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching and the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities in 2017. 

He performs and records with the Empire Jazz Orchestra, and the Dogs of Desire. He is an active composer and arranger and a member of ASCAP and SCI. Mr. Wery received his M.A. from the University of Denver and his Bachelor of Music degree from the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Upcoming Concerts

The Sad Clown

Sunday, November 15, 3 p.m.

Loneliness, Alienation, and the Mask of Comedy
Schuman, Circus Overture
Newman, Moon by Night
Soderberg, Death of Pierrot
Stravinsky, Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Stravinsky, Circus Polka
Koh, Lament
Tchaikovsky, Dance of the Jesters

Tickets: $10 for adults; $8 for students; $5 for kids under 10

Monumental

Sunday, April 25, 2027, 3 p.m.

Castles and Bridges in Music
with Ian Tyson, clarinet

Ticheli, Fortress
Salfelder, Cathedrals
Daugherty, Brooklyn Bridge
Ticheli, Angels in the Architecture
Mussorgsky, The Old Castle
Schumann, George Washington Bridge

Tickets: $10 for adults; $8 for students; $5 for kids under 10

Elements

Sunday, June 13, 2027, 3 p.m.

Earth, Water, Air, Fire
with Michael Silvagnoli, tuba

Maslanka, Mother Earth
Stalter, Clouds That Sail in Heaven
Hylander, Follow the Wind
Day, Dancing Fire
Schostakovich, and in the End it Was Earth
Mackey, Sheltering Sky
Hailstork, New Wade 'n Water
Balmages, Elements

Tickets: $10 for adults; $8 for students; $5 for kids under 10

The Musicians of Ma'alwyck

Founded in 1999 by violinist and director Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, the group specializes in music performed in America during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Many of the performing materials are drawn from the Special Collections of the New York State Library. 

Visit the Musicians of Ma'alwyck's website.

Upcoming Concert

A Fashionable Assembly

Wednesday, November 4, 12 p.m.

Featuring the works of J.C. Bach, Handel, Corri, and Shield