Atlanta Wind Symphony

The Atlanta Wind Symphony (“AWS”) is an adult community wind ensemble of approximately 75 players who share a common goal of delivering inspiring performances of quality wind band literature. Members are volunteers and have a variety of vocations, including professional musician,
educator, attorney, pilot, engineer, and business executive. To maintain balanced instrumentation, the number of players in each section is managed through auditions. The AWS is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

The Atlanta Wind Symphony was founded in 1979 as the North Fulton Community Band. Over its 44- year history the group has evolved into one of the finest community wind ensembles in the Southeast. The group has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City and at four Georgia Music
Educators Association conventions. The John Philip Sousa Foundation awarded the AWS the Sudler Silver Scroll, North America's most prestigious award for community concert bands. Well-known composers of wind band literature have served as guest conductors, including Alfred Reed, James
Curnow, Elliot del Borgo, and Eric Osterling. 

Dr. David Kehler became the Atlanta Wind Symphony's Music Director in 2017. Under his leadership, the AWS has grown in size and quality and was selected to perform at the 2021 Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference. The AWS continues to support Atlanta-area audiences,
providing six free concerts per season in multiple venues and expanding its outreach programs to metro-area high school bands.

David Kehler serves as Music Director and Conductor of the Atlanta Wind Symphony, a position he has held since 2017. The AWS is now considered one of the top adult bands in the United States today and has been a featured ensemble at the 2020 Georgia Music Educators Conference, and the 2021 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.

In addition, the Atlanta Wind Symphony can be heard online as the reference recordings for several composer’s new music, including Tyler S. Grant. The AWS continues to enjoy an increased and robust membership, which include music educators, professional musicians, and an unlimited diversity of business professionals, teachers, lawyers, pilots, researchers, engineers, and community leaders. In addition, Dr. Kehler serves as Director of Bands and Professor of Music at the Kennesaw State University Bobbie Bailey School of Music where he is Music Director and Conductor of the KSU Wind Ensemble. In addition, he supervises and guides all aspects of the KSU Band program, which now enrolls nearly 500 students. Dr. Kehler also teaches courses in instrumental conducting, symphonic repertoire, and twentieth century music. Professor Kehler is the recipient of several awards including the Kennesaw State University College of Arts 2024 Service Award, 2021 Research and Creative Activity Award, and the 2020 Teaching Award. An advocate of new music, Dr. Kehler has commissioned more than two-dozen composers, including several Pulitzer Prize winners to write new compositions for wind ensemble. Previously, David Kehler served as Associate Conductor of America's Premiere Windband; The Dallas Winds and served as Founder and Conductor of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra Wind Symphony.

Previous academic appointments were at Southern Methodist University, the University of Rhode Island, and Bay City Western High School, in Bay City, Michigan. Growing up in Michigan, Dr. Kehler received his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Conducting degrees from Michigan State University, followed by his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in instrumental conducting from the University of Texas at Austin.