Early Wind Band Composers

With the growth and popularity of military bands in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, several world-renowned composers began to write serious music that for the first time, excluded orchestral string instruments.  Their music represented a new ensemble that comprised of only woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.  It was the genius and artistry of these musical works that helped establish the wind band as a self-existing medium.  These iconic pieces of literature are still considered some of the greatest compositions in all of instrumental music. 

This WebQuest will take you on a journey into the lives and literature of the men who put the wind band as we know it on the map.