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
Variants
Sunday, June 8, 3 p.m.
Union College, Memorial Chapel
Schenectady, NY 12308
Featuring the world premiere of The Safford Variations by Gerald Busby, William Safford, Contrabassoon.
Music by Isaiah Castro, Barry Kopetz, Gerald Busby, John Barnes Chance, and Philip Sparke.
Free and open to the public.
More information: 518-381-1231 ext. 2, CapitalRegionWindEnsemble@gmail.com
Aegean Festival
Sunday, November 9, 3 p.m.
Exploring the music of Greece, Turkey, and the Aegean islands.
Anthony O'Toole, Phalanx for Brass Ensemble; Andreas Makris, Aegean Festival Overture; Paul Creston, Anatolia; Adam Gorb, Dances from Crete
$10 for adults, $8 for students, $5 for children under 10
More information: 518-381-1231 ext. 2 or CapitalRegionWindEnsemble@gmail.com
Carnival!
Sunday, April 6, 2026, 3 p.m.
With Brad Hubbard, baritone saxophone. Carnival celebrations from around the world
featuring 25 high school performers side-by-side with the musicians of CRWE.
Richard Strauss, Wiener Philharmoniker Fanfare; Paul Basler, Carnival; Augusta Read Thomas, Carnival; Julie Giroux, Carnaval!; Vincent Persichetti, Psalm for Band; Roger Nixon, Fiesta Del Pacifico
$10 for adults, $8 for students, $5 for children under 10
More information: 518-381-1231 ext. 2 or CapitalRegionWindEnsemble@gmail.com
In A World...
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 3 p.m.
With Kathryn Svatek, horn. A journey through the world of sci-fi.
Gioachino Rossini, The Barber of Seville Overture; James Beckel, The Call and Awakening; Erika Svanoe, Steampunk Suite; Michael Daugherty, Red Cape Tango
$10 for adults, $8 for students, $5 for children under 10
More information: 518-381-1231 ext. 2 or CapitalRegionWindEnsemble@gmail.com
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.
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.