Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble
Celebrating its 20th season of musical artistry, Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble (PSYWE) has emerged as the premier high school wind ensemble in Orange County, California. As one of only a handful of student symphonic wind bands associated with a top tier U.S. symphony orchestra, PSYWE is an advanced, pre-professional ensemble for talented woodwind, brass, and percussion players from throughout Southern California.
Now in his thirteenth year of artistic leadership, Dr. Gregory Xavier Whitmore began his tenure as PSYWE Music Director in 2014. Under Dr. Whitmore’s visionary guidance, PSYWE has undertaken commissions and world premieres of over eight new works by renowned and emerging composers, including a world-premiere collaboration with composer Jules Pegram that won the 2019 College Band Directors National Association Frederick Fennell Composition Award.
Over the past twelve years, PSYWE has welcomed over eighteen guest conductors from leading university schools of music for residencies with the ensemble. PSYWE has also hosted over seventeen composer residencies, including those with John Mackey, Michael Markowski, Giovanni Santos, Kevin Day, Kevin Charoensri, Jules Pegram, Derrick Skye, Alex Shapiro, Frank Ticheli, and more. PSYWE has also collaborated in concert with over twenty-seven guest artists from across the United States, including with ~NOIS Quartet. In 2025, PSYWE was selected to perform in the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA)Western Region Conference.
In 2025, PSYWE undertook an extraordinarily successful tour to Costa Rica, including a sold-out concert at the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica. In 2016-17, PSYWE celebrated its 10th anniversary season, culminating in a tour to Salzburg and Vienna, where the ensemble participated in the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival, taking first place in their category, with performances in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, the MuTh Concert Hall, and Vienna’s legendary Konzerthaus.
Representing over thirty schools across Southern California, PSYWE offers performance opportunities to instrumentalists in grades 9-12 and is one of four youth ensembles offered by Pacific Symphony. PSYWE provides members with an advanced and innovative artistic experience and strives to encourage musical and personal growth through the art of performance.
PSYWE benefits from the mentorship of Maestro Alexander Shelley, enjoys regular interactions with guest artists and receives coaching sessions with Pacific Symphony musicians. PSYWE presents a three-concert series each season in the magnificent Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA. Members are selected through annual auditions.
Previous PSYWE Music Directors:
Dr. Josh Roach - 2009 to 2013
Michael J. Corrigan - 2007 to 2008
Now in his thirteenth year of artistic leadership, Dr. Gregory Xavier Whitmore began his tenure as PSYWE Music Director in 2014. Under Dr. Whitmore’s visionary guidance, PSYWE has undertaken commissions and world premieres of over eight new works by renowned and emerging composers, including a world-premiere collaboration with composer Jules Pegram that won the 2019 College Band Directors National Association Frederick Fennell Composition Award.
Over the past twelve years, PSYWE has welcomed over eighteen guest conductors from leading university schools of music for residencies with the ensemble. PSYWE has also hosted over seventeen composer residencies, including those with John Mackey, Michael Markowski, Giovanni Santos, Kevin Day, Kevin Charoensri, Jules Pegram, Derrick Skye, Alex Shapiro, Frank Ticheli, and more. PSYWE has also collaborated in concert with over twenty-seven guest artists from across the United States, including with ~NOIS Quartet. In 2025, PSYWE was selected to perform in the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA)Western Region Conference.
In 2025, PSYWE undertook an extraordinarily successful tour to Costa Rica, including a sold-out concert at the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica. In 2016-17, PSYWE celebrated its 10th anniversary season, culminating in a tour to Salzburg and Vienna, where the ensemble participated in the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival, taking first place in their category, with performances in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein, the MuTh Concert Hall, and Vienna’s legendary Konzerthaus.
Representing over thirty schools across Southern California, PSYWE offers performance opportunities to instrumentalists in grades 9-12 and is one of four youth ensembles offered by Pacific Symphony. PSYWE provides members with an advanced and innovative artistic experience and strives to encourage musical and personal growth through the art of performance.
PSYWE benefits from the mentorship of Maestro Alexander Shelley, enjoys regular interactions with guest artists and receives coaching sessions with Pacific Symphony musicians. PSYWE presents a three-concert series each season in the magnificent Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA. Members are selected through annual auditions.
Previous PSYWE Music Directors:
Dr. Josh Roach - 2009 to 2013
Michael J. Corrigan - 2007 to 2008
