Nebraska Wind Symphony

Darwyn “Tony” Snyder and others recognized the need for a performance outlet in Omaha for those who had spent years in high school and college band programs. In September 1977, Tony organized a group of 70 adult musicians for an initial rehearsal and the Nebraska Wind Symphony was born. We celebrate the vision that resulted in establishing the Nebraska Wind Symphony!

The Nebraska Wind Symphony is an adult community band of over 70 instrumentalists from a wide variety of vocational backgrounds. For over 45 years the NWS has presented high quality concert performances of standard band literature and exciting new works by contemporary composers. Since its inception, NWS has provided a musical outlet for over 700 adult musicians. As of 2023, 5 of the initial season playing members remain active in the organization. Each concert season, the NWS performs at a series of indoor and outdoor concerts in a variety of venues, often in collaboration with other arts organizations and area schools.

Since 2001 NWS has presented a Middle School AllStars concert featuring a mass solo/ensemble with the band at our Winter concert. This was inspired by a Vander Cook College Wind Ensemble performance with area middle school trumpets at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in 2000. Each year 15 to 30 students who play a specific instrument are nominated by area middle school band directors. Students are provided with the music to practice under the guidance of their band directors. The week before the concert they prepare for the concert with a sectional with an  expert on their instrument and rehearsal with the entire band.

Over the years the NWS has had eight different talented and dedicated Music Directors. Our current Music Director is Dr. Joshua Kearney, Assistant Professor and Director of Bands at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Our Associate Director is Keith Michael Davis, an accomplished composer/arranger of works for band, orchestra, and other ensembles.

NWS hosted the national convention of the Association of Concert Bands (ACB) in 1991. Fifty members of the band made a trip to Quincy, IL to play at the 2005 ACB national convention.

Joshua Kearney, Music Director

Joshua Kearney is Assistant Professor and Director of Bands at the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he teaches courses in music education and conducting, conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and oversees all aspects of the UNO band program. In addition to his duties at UNO, Dr. Kearney serves as Music Director of the Nebraska Wind Symphony. Kearney began his career as a teacher in the public schools south of Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. Kearney has worked as an adjudicator and clinician for ensembles of all levels—maintaining an active guest conducting schedule locally and across the United States. Kearney regularly shares his research and experiences through conference presentations, lectures, and workshops around the country including: multiple state music conferences, the State University of New York at New Paltz, the Millard and Omaha Public Schools, College Music Society (CMS) regional and national conferences, conferences of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) conference in Prague. Under Kearney’s
direction, both the Nebraska Wind Symphony and the UNO Symphonic Wind Ensemble have been selected as featured ensembles at the annual Nebraska Music Educators Association in-service conference.

An advocate of new music, Kearney often works with composers in the creation and performance of new works for winds. His direct efforts have contributed to pieces by Keith Davis, Catherine Likhuta, Giovanni Santos, Scott Boerma, Donald Grantham, Steven Bryant, Anthony O’Toole, Joseph Schwantner, and others. Dr. Kearney is an active editor and arranger, having provided music for the UNO Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Columbus State University Wind Ensemble and Trombone Choir, the Southeast Trombone Symposium Professors Choir, the Springer Opera House (GA), and many selections for athletic bands. In 2020, Boosey & Hawkes announced plans to include Kearney’s educational edition of Georg Druschetzky’s Partita No. IV within their acclaimed Windependence Chamber Ensemble series. In 2017, Boosey & Hawkes also published Kearney’s critical edition of Emil Hartmann’s Serenade for Winds (Op. 43) which is regularly featured in prominent conducting symposia throughout the United States. Additionally, Presser Music has included Dr. Kearney’s transcription of Charles Ives’ Variations on ‘America’ for trombone choir within their catalog—receiving its premiere at the 2021 International Trombone Festival by the Southeast Trombone Symposium Professors Choir.

Kearney earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from Michigan State University where he studied with Kevin Sedatole and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Columbus State University (GA) where he was a student of Jamie L. Nix. Kearney holds affiliations with the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association, the Nebraska Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education, the College Music Society, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, and the College Band Directors National Association. Kearney has served on the Executive Board for the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association and in multiple leadership roles on committees within the College Band Directors National Association.