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Concordia Wind Orchestra

Music Department

Concordia Wind Orchestra

Dr. Jeff Held, music director

Rehearsals: Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 3:30-5:15

Dr. Jeff Held

Dr. Jeff Held

Music Director

Prospective students are invited to apply for music scholarships. All Concordia orchestras accept new members at the beginning of each semester. Any student with interest should contact the Music Director.

Performances: app. 15 per year, including Fall and Spring Concerts in the CU Center, Concordia Christmas Concerts, worship services at area congregations and on campus, Commencement, Family Pops Concert, and other special concerts/events

Domestic Tours: Recent destinations: San Diego, Las Vegas, Northern California, Phoenix, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Michigan, and Texas

International Tours: The CWO performed at the Eiffel Tower, the American Normandy Ceremony and on Omaha Beach to help commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in 2019. Then, they performed concerts in several of the most significant cathedrals in the Netherlands. A full summary is available at www.cui.edu/dday75.

Major Repertoire: Each year, the CWO performs music of the highest standard in wind band repertoire.   Notably, the CWO has performed the full cycle of Alfred Reed symphonies over a span of 10 years.

Auditions: Interested students should contact the director (email) to discuss joining the ensemble.  Prospective students may audition for a music scholarship.

Private Lessons: As a major outreach ensemble with high performance standards, all members in the CWO are required to take private lessons for at least a portion of their years at Concordia. Music lesson tuition is steeply discounted for CWO members.

Major Repertoire: Each year, the CWO performs music of the highest standard in wind band repertoire. Notably, the CWO has completed a cycle of all five of Alfred Reed's symphonies.

New Music: As a part of its role as an artistically achieving ensemble, the CWO regularly performs new music, and aids in its creation. Recent commissions that the CWO was involved in include: Silver Linings (Frank Ticheli's flute concerto), Diversions for Solo Clarinet and Wind Ensemble (Robert Spittal), From Heaven Above to Earth I Come: A Christmas Cantata (Craig Naylor). Annually, the CWO commissions several sacred works for use in worship settings.

Worship Music: The mission of the CWO extends well-beyond that of the typical college wind band. Through its work in worship services, hymn festivals, and sacred-themed concerts, the CWO serves the Church through its commissioned hymn accompaniments and other liturgical music.

Community: Students in the CWO form a very close, supportive community of friends who each have diverse backgrounds in academic interest and musical experience.  Half of the ensemble consists of music majors.  Concordia University can successfully prepare music students for graduate-level study, while at the same time it provides a unique opportunity for dedicated non-majors to perform at the highest level, side-by-side with musicians preparing for careers in the profession.

Recent Concerts:

  • D-Day 75 concert (2019):  A concert performed six times, in California and the Netherlands
  • Composer Spotlight Concert: Frank Ticheli
    • In 2018, the CWO welcomed Frank Ticheli as guest conductor. In addition to many great Ticheli works, this concert gave the second performance ever of his oboe serenade, and a performance of his new flute concerto: Silver Lining, which we helped to commission.
    Concordia Christmas Concerts 2017
    • Our annual Christmas concerts draw 2,500 people in five performances, featuring most of the large ensembles at Concordia University.
    4/21/17 CWO & Sinfonietta Concert
    • This is a typical repertoire concert featuring important works in the band and orchestral repertoire.
    CWO Invitational Concert (Fall 2017)
    • These concerts are held twice per year, including guest performances from local and touring high schools and community colleges.
    40th Anniversary Service
    • This is an example of the CWO assisting in worship ministry.
    CWO Tour (Bakersfield, Sacramento, Orange)
  • CWO and Organ at Spreckels Organ Pavilion, San Diego
    • Tour concerts can vary widely depending on the venues. Often, we choose to present some sacred music as part of the tour concerts.
  • Annual Family Pops Concerts introduce small children to live music through interactive, comedic character skits and music. Recent themes: "Musical Monsters, Inc.," "Lions and Tubas and Baritones, Oh My! Musical Adventures with the Wonderful Wizards of Winds."

BEYOND THE CONCORDIA WIND ORCHESTRA

Instrumentalists at Concordia University keep a very full performance schedule. Participation in the Concordia Wind Orchestra is only one part of many students' performance portfolios, which include handbells, choirs, worship bands, and additional instrumental ensembles. Many CWO members also take assignments in Concordia Symphony Orchestra, Concordia Brass, and the Concordia Jazz Orchestra.

Concordia's music majors and some non-majors perform solo recitals. Many music majors (and some non-majors) choose to perform a half recital in their junior year and a full recital in their senior year. Solo recitals are tremendous culminating projects that require long-term planning, focus, close work with a studio teacher mentor, musical collaboration, and recital production. In addition to recitals, Concordia instrumentalists are active as solo accompanists for choirs, chapel performers, and performers at local congregations and other musical organizations.

CWO Performs

Concordia Wind Orchestra performing on stage

Minor Alterations

CWO performing with choir

Hymn setting: Christ Alone the World's Redeemer

Cellist

Sakura Movement III

Minor Alterations (David Lovrien)
Hymn setting: Christ Alone the World's Redeemer (Alex Guebert '10)
Movement III from Alfred Reed's 5th Symphony ("Sakura")

Assistant Dean - School of Arts & Sciences, Director of Arts Activities, Professor of Music, Director of Instrumental Activities

Dr. Jeff Held

Biography

"A very strong musical personality."
(Dr. Glenn Price, conductor of the Cincinnati Conservatory Wind Orchestra)

Jeff Held is the music director of both the Concordia Wind Orchestra and the Concordia Sinfonietta, as well as Director of Arts Activities and Assistant Dean for the School of Arts and Sciences (music, theatre, and art). He joined the faculty of Concordia University in 2005 and established most of the existing orchestral instrument program at the university.

Dr. Held received the Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education from Boston University. His research interest was comparing learning atmospheres for music majors between large and small universities. He received a master's degree from The American Band College at Southern Oregon University and an undergraduate degree in music from Valparaiso University. In addition, he completed the Lutheran Teaching Colloquy from Concordia University, Irvine. His career began as band director and music department chairman at Orange Lutheran High School, where he established a prominent concert band, jazz band, and handbell ensemble. Held is known nationally for his innovative hymn festivals with wind orchestra and voices, sacred-theme concerts, implementation of new music for wind band in worship, involvement with the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, and his work as a board member of Lutheran Music Program (which produces Lutheran Summer Music Academy and other music programs).

Education

  • D.M.A. Music Education – Boston University
  • M.A. Arts and Letters – The American Band College (Southern Oregon University)
  • B.A. Music – Valparaiso University
  • Lutheran Teaching Certificate – Concordia University (Irvine, CA)

Teaching

  • Conductor, Concordia Wind Orchestra
  • Conductor, Concordia Sinfonietta
  • Instrumental Conducting Methods and Rehearsal Techniques
  • MUS 112: Music in the Liberal Arts
  • AART 201: Integrated Arts
  • MUS 312: Brass Techniques
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