Our History
Salt Lake Symphonic Winds (SLSW) is a community concert band in Salt Lake City, Utah. SLSW plays a variety of band music. Members include music educators, professional musicians, and a variety of other professionals across multiple disciplines throughout the Wasatch Front and Cache County, Utah.
The Mountain West’s most prolific wind and percussion ensemble is celebrating 33 years of music making. Founded in 1992 by Dr. Barry Kopetz of the University of Utah, the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds has been dedicated to the highest quality performance of the vast wind band repertory in the communities in which we live and work.
Dr. Kopetz served as the organization’s first conductor until departing in 2002 to serve as director of bands at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Scott Hagen, the Director of Bands at the University of Utah, took the role as conductor until 2004. Dr. Thomas P. Rohrer, the Director of Bands and Director of Music Education at Utah State University is the current conductor and marks 21 years in this role.
The Salt Lake Symphonic Winds is a non-profit organization, and its membership is comprised of people from all walks of life. Some of the ensemble’s members are music educators, engineers, legal professionals, military personnel, and healthcare workers; just to name a few.
During the regular concert season, which includes six concerts, the repertoire is chosen from the finest wind and percussion literature available. The literature selection ranges from traditional to contemporary and includes a myriad of genres, including overtures, symphonies, concertos, suites, and marches. The artistry of this ensemble was demonstrated by its selection and performance at the Music Educators Association. In 2005, the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds became the feature ensemble for the July 4th fireworks celebration in Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City, entertaining as many as 65,000 people.
The ensemble has hosted clinics with Junior and Senior High School band students to share musical talents and help young musicians know that participation in music can be a lifelong endeavor. Community outreach is a focal point of the organization, having combined performances with musical ensembles such as the Choral Arts Society of Utah, Utah Premiere Brass, Tooele Valley Wind Ensemble, Murray Concert Band, Ogden City Band, and Wasatch Winds.