Spring/Summer 2024 Season
The Bay Winds’ musicians are excited to share a new collection of pieces for the Spring/Summer 2024 concert season! Stay tuned to the Events page and social media for our concert dates.
ABOUT US
The band was established in October, 1980, and currently numbers between 50-60 musicians. We have all levels of musical experience and range in age from teenagers to senior citizens. Our repertoire includes a mixture of marches, classical transcriptions, music from theater and motion pictures, big band jazz, Dixieland jazz and challenging contemporary music.
ABOUT US
The band was established in October, 1980, and currently numbers between 50-60 musicians. We have all levels of musical experience and range in age from teenagers to senior citizens. Our repertoire includes a mixture of marches, classical transcriptions, music from theater and motion pictures, big band jazz, Dixieland jazz and challenging contemporary music.
Mission
The Bay Winds Band is a community-focused wind band, based in Annapolis, MD. Our Mission serves a dual purpose. The first is to bring live concert band music to community venues of all shapes and sizes, from park settings over Summer to retirement facilities for our community’s less-mobile seniors. The second is to provide playing opportunities and challenges for a broad collection of musicians in our community. We do not require auditions and strive to involve those with the desire to share their instrumental talent through performance. Our musicians represent all walks of life, from High School or Home Schooled students, past Military musicians, all the way up to nonagenarians who have played with the band for decades.
Mission
The Bay Winds Band is a community-focused wind band, based in Annapolis, MD. Our Mission serves a dual purpose. The first is to bring live concert band music to community venues of all shapes and sizes, from park settings over Summer to retirement facilities for our community’s less-mobile seniors. The second is to provide playing opportunities and challenges for a broad collection of musicians in our community. We do not require auditions and strive to involve those with the desire to share their instrumental talent through performance. Our musicians represent all walks of life, from High School or Home Schooled students, past Military musicians, all the way up to nonagenarians who have played with the band for decades.
Our History
The Bay Winds Band was formed and had its first rehearsal in October of 1980 under the name of the Anne Arundel Community Band. The name soon was changed to the Maryland Hall Community Band, reflecting the name of the rehearsal hall.The name Bay Winds was adopted when the group incorporated and registered as a non-profit in 1985. The band later moved to its present rehearsal location at the Annapolis High school.
The first director was Alice Harper. She was followed by the U.S.Naval Academy Band’s director, Ray Ascione. When Commander Ascione was transferred to the command of the Navy’s Music School in Norfolk, Commander John Pastin stepped to the podium. Tom Mosser succeeded Commander Pastin, and was in turn followed by Rinaldo Massimino.
The assistant director Michael Svec replaced Rinaldo Massimino as director in the early 1990’s. The late Kevin Pallett and Eric Richards of the U.S. Army Field Band served as assistant directors to Mr. Svec in the early 1990’s.
Principal oboist Russ DeVilbiss, MUCS, USN (Ret), became assistant director in 1996 and took over as director when Michael Svec retired in 2011. In the Fall of 2012, Richard Albright II became director and Anne Dickinson assistant director. Upon Richard’s retirement in the Spring of 2019, Anne Dickinson became acting director for the Fall 2019 season. After a director search and auditions, the Bay Winds Board announced the selection of Joseph Nalley as the new director and Anne Dickinson as assistant director in the Spring of 2020.
Bay Winds Band Today
The Bay Winds Band is looking forward to larger audiences and increased performances as post-pandemic conditions continue to improve. We intend to continue at least one FREE public concert each season, Holiday, Spring & Summer, as well as build and maintain relationships with organizations, schools and businesses in Anne Arundel County. Please stop by at one of our events to say hi and let us know you missed us. We have missed all of you! Keep an eye on our Events page and social media for performance details.
Would you like the band to perform at your event or concert?
Please reach out to us if you are interested in hosting the band at your event or concert.