About VWS

The Virginia Wind Symphony (VWS) is thrilled to participate with the Military Aviation Museum (MAM) in the 10th Annual Flying Prom, a unique blending of music and machinery that honors the world’s war heroes and their impressive military aircraft.

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The Virginia Wind Symphony, founded in 1994 by Dennis J. Zeisler, is a wind band comprised of profession instrumentalists, music educators, military musicians, freelance musicians, Old Dominion University faculty and ODU students.  Created to provide a musical outlet for musicians throughout the Hampton Roads area, the group is dedicated to playing the finest original and transcribed literature available for band.  Members benefit from positive experiences through music making, in a spirit of camaraderie, and from the opportunity to serve the region –through a love of music – with concerts throughout the year.

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The VWS has performed at numerous conferences of the Virginia Music Educator’s Association (VMEA) and at conventions of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association (ABA) 2004 and 2011.  The VWS appeared in concert at the famed Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, December 2004, 2012 and 2017.  The John Philip Sousa Foundation presented the Sudler Silver Scroll Award to the Virginia Wind Symphony, acknowledging the group’s outstanding reputation.  The Sudler Silver Scroll is an international award given to recognize community bands that have demonstrated particularly high standards of excellence and have played significant and leading roles in the cultural and musical development of their respective communities. The VWS is one of the finest adult wind bands in the country and has recorded six compact discs that are available commercially and used as educational resources around the world.

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The Virginia Wind Symphony has a unique partnership with Old Dominion University and the Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School.  Through this partnership, the group has played for and accompanied the finest conductors and soloists both nationally and internationally.  Guest Conductors have included Frederick Fennell, H. Robert Reynolds, Harry Begian, Col. Arnald Gabriel, Donald Hunsberger, Julie Giroux, Johan De Meij, Capt. Brian Walden, Col. John Bourgeois, Marcellus Brown, Sergio Rosales, Patricia Venegas Ruiz, David Holsinger and Loras Schissel to name a few.  Soloists have included Anthony McGill, Brandon Ridenour, Patrick Sheridan, Oysten Baadsvik, Wayne Tice, The American Brass Quintet, the West Point Saxophone Quartet, James Walker, Dale Underwood, Dr. Emily Ondracek-Peterson and many others.