The Heisey Wind Ensemble will continue their 41st Season with a concert titled Band Classics – Old and New on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be held at the John W. Alford Performing Arts Hall in the John Gilbert Reese Center on the campus of The Ohio State University at Newark and Central Ohio Technical College.
Dr. Russel Mikkelson has programmed four classics of the concert band literature. Two Alfred Reed pieces, The Hounds of Spring and First Suite for Band. Alfred Reed was an American composer and teacher, and was among the most prolific composers of works for concert band, with over 200 compositions to his credit. Also on the program is Robert Sheldon’s A Longford Legend. Robert Sheldon is one of the most performed composers of concert band music in the world. He has over 250 original works for band and hundreds of arrangements published. For the “new” part of the program Dr. Mikkelson has programmed Symphony No. 4 by James Stephenson. James Stephenson is fairly new to the concert band genre, having published his first concert band piece in 2006. He had been composing and arranging for other ensemble types in the early 1990’s. His Symphony No. 4 was composed in 2023 and Commissioned by the Interlochen College of Creative Arts – Band Camp.
The HWE, formed in 1985, is recognized as one of Ohio's finest adult concert bands. Membership is by audition only and includes outstanding musicians from Licking, Franklin, Fairfield, Guernsey, Delaware, Coshocton, and Muskingum counties. The band has been selected to perform at conventions of the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) and the American School Band Directors Association (ASBDA). The first rehearsal for the HWE was on February 1, 1985, and the first concert was on June 10, 1985. The group has performed 165 concerts to date.
The remaining concerts in the 2025-2026 Season are Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 7:30 pm; and the HWE Big Band on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 7:30 pm. All concerts, are at the Reese Center on the Newark Campus of OSU and COTC.
Tickets for HWE concerts are available only at the door. Adults are $15, seniors (60+) are $10 and students are $5. Additional information can be found at the band’s web site at www.heiseywindensemble.org
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