Selection Procedures

NOMINATIONS OPEN April 14
​Admission to the Alberta Wind Symphony is made by music teacher/conductor recommendation.  Teachers may select up to 4 nominees for the ensemble per band to be considered for the ensemble. Students will be selected based on the following criteria:

1. Location - To ensure that the Wind Symphony truly represents all sectors of Alberta, the selection committee endeavors to provide an opportunity for equal representation across the province and selects students from both rural and urban areas where possible.
2. Auditions - Students may submit audition recordings. First offers for acceptance to the Wind Symphony will go to auditioning participants with the remaining seats filled by teacher recommendation.
3. Nomination Form and Recommendation Rubric - Information collected on the nomination form and recommendation rubric will be evaluated to determine the members of the ensemble. Assigned scores and ranking provided by the teacher will be considered along with any additional information the teacher can provide regarding the student, their abilities, and their desire to participate will be considered. If a student has participated in the ensemble in a previous year, this will also be considered and students who have not yet had the opportunity play in the Wind Symphony will be given preference for participation.
4. Instrumentation Needs - Some schools may have more than others represented in the ensemble. While the selection committee will try to make the distribution of participants between schools as even as possible, it is important that the ensemble is balanced. To this end, the committee may select more students from one area to create a well-balanced ensemble.
5. Grade/Age - Preference will be given to those students currently in grade 12 who will not be able to participate because they are aging out of the ensemble, especially if those students have never played in the Wind Symphony.

The deadline to submit recommendations is May 16, 2025