The wind ensemble will be performing at the 2026 World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. They’re one of just three U.S groups to be invited this year and are the first ever band from Oregon to attend.
The World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles is an international organization of wind band composers, conductors, musicians and more, dedicated to enhancing wind bands everywhere. The group has a biannual conference and this year’s is being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
At the concert, the OSU group will perform a specialized set list from only American composers to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary. The set will include a song specially written for them by Olin Hannum, a composer and Associate Director of Bands at OSU.
While in Rio, the band will also do outreach work with a local nonprofit, Aprendiz Musical, that provides free music lessons to under-privileged students.
Oregon State University’s Director of Bands, Erik Leung. Said the OSU band stands out because all the musicians are undergraduates, and more than half are non-music majors.
“They're just doing it because they really love music and I think for me that's just really inspiring,” he said.
Sydney Potter, a senior kinesiology major, plays the oboe in the ensemble and said it’s both a nerve-wracking and exciting experience.
“It's so surreal to be a part of that experience and to be a part of WASBE [World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles],” said Potter.
The band will have a send-off concert at Detrick Hall on the OSU campus in Corvallis on July 16 at 7 p.m.
