Founder
After retiring from a long, successful career in instrumental music, Thomas S. Murphy founded the Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble (CVWE) in 2001. Tom wanted to provide an opportunity for music educators and other trained musicians to rehearse and perform the great works for band and to present high-quality concerts. The initial group of 16 musicians has grown to today's ensemble of 45.

Members
Music teachers, experienced adults and outstanding students make up the group. All are volunteers who commit to the group and
to an attendance policy that permits three absences per semester.

Schedule
We rehearse weekly on Wednesday, September through May, at Oneonta High School, and present three major concerts a year, while also seeking other performance opportunities and engaging in outreach activities with local schools and colleges.

Repertoire
Outstanding works works written originally for band, old and new, Holst to Holsinger. The best transcriptions of orchestral music, Bach to Bernstein. Broadway, film and popular music well arranged. And of course the great tradition of marches for band.

Performances
Fall, Mid-Winter Pops, and Spring concerts since 2001-02.  Additional recent (pre-pandemic) performances:  Christmas Holiday and "Spring Fling" concerts, St. James Retirement Community, 2015 and 2017. Walton Chamber of Commerce Concert, 2016.  Reformation Sunday Concert, First Presbyterian Church of Unadilla, 2017. Chenango Arts Council Concert, 2019. 

Outreach
Demonstrations of band music and band instruments for elementary students in Oxford and Sidney. Sectionals, rehearsals and performances with senior bands in the Milford, Cooperstown, Unatego, Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton, Afton, Delhi, Downsville, and Richfield Springs school districts, and with the Hartwick College Wind Ensemble.

New Members
We seek new players on all instruments with concert band experience and the ability to perform Grades 4-6 concert band
music.  Please contact us if you are interested in joining.