History
The Four State Symphonic Winds was founded on May 4, 2017. Several high school band directors were sitting around a table eating doughnuts during the Four State Honor Band rehearsal held at Pittsburg State University. A few started thinking aloud about how nice it would be to have a concert band in which band directors could continue playing their horns. As the idea started gaining traction, Dr. Craig Fuchs walked in the room and asked what was going on. Someone exclaimed, "Well, there's our conductor!" From there a tentative roster was made and the group was founded.
The first concert was held on July 3rd, 2017 at Carl Junction High School and was a success. At this point, the members of the ensemble agreed to do two concerts in the fall and one in the spring in addition to the summer concert. At the conclusion of the season, the group submitted a recording to the Missouri Music Educators Association. They were accepted to play at the 2019 In-Service Workshop/Convention held at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri.
The MMEA Concert included several great pieces from the wind band repertoire. The group was introduced by Danny Watring, a retired band director from Grandview, and Dr. Fuchs' personal friend. The concert opened with Michael Markowski's JoyRiDE. The ensemble then played the Cailliet transcription of Richard Wagner's Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral. The next piece, Karl King's The Melody Shop, arranged by Andrew Glover, featured the euphonium section from the Fountain City Brass Band. The concert concluded with the third movement of David Maslanka's Eighth Symphony.
Following a concert in February 2020, the full group went on hiatus due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, the group still made a virtual recording of Pierre La Plante's American Riversongs while apart. Also during the hiatus, members of the brass section put together a brass quintet and recorded a virtual concert.
Dr. Fuchs conducted his last concert with the ensemble in the Summer of 2022. During the 2022-2023 school year, the group rotated through conductors. These included Dr. Brandon Robinson from Missouri Southern State University, Dr. Paul Popiel from the University of Kansas, and Dr. Andrew Chybowski from Pittsburg State University.
Dr. Chybowski took on full conducting responsibilities in the Fall of 2023. Under his direction, the group was selected to their second MMEA performance which took place on January 25th, 2024. The band performed works from a variety of different time periods. The concert opened with a 2023 Michael Daugherty composition entitled Passacaglia in Primary Colors. The second piece of the concert was the Grainger standard, Colonial Song. The third piece was the second movement of Andrea Reinkemeyer's Dos Danzas entitled "Gallo Fino" and was conducted by Dr. Brandon Robinson. The final selection was a transcription of the fourth movement of Respighi's Pines of Rome entitiled, "Of the Appian Way." The concert was well received.
In 2025, the Four State Symphonic Winds commissioned Andrea Reinkemeyer to write a piece in memory of our beloved friend and former conductor, Dr. Craig Fuchs. The piece is entitled O memory, hope, love and is being premiered at the December 2025 concert. The consortium members include:
Four State Symphonic Winds
Brian Beeson - Burkburnett (TX) High School Bulldog Brigade
Trey Wadell - Carl Junction High School Wind Ensemble
Jennifer Sager - Carthage High School
Frank Tracz - Kansas State University Wind Ensemble
Dan Duffield - Neosho Symphonic Band
Robert Davis - Olathe Northwest High School Band
Cooper Neil - Pittsburg High School Wind Ensemble
Andrew Chybowski - Pittsburg State University Wind Ensemble
Connor Callahan - Platte County High School
Jennifer Antonetti - Topeka High Trojan Band
Charles Pisarra - Union High School
Matt Smith - University of Kansas Wind Ensemble
Tim Oliver - University of Mississippi Wind Ensemble
Anya Pogorelova - Washburn University Wind Ensemble
The group continues putting on four concerts per year and works hard to achieve musical excellence. The organization has a solo competition which has a class for adults and high school students. The winners get to perform their solo with the Four State Symphonic Winds.
The first concert was held on July 3rd, 2017 at Carl Junction High School and was a success. At this point, the members of the ensemble agreed to do two concerts in the fall and one in the spring in addition to the summer concert. At the conclusion of the season, the group submitted a recording to the Missouri Music Educators Association. They were accepted to play at the 2019 In-Service Workshop/Convention held at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri.
The MMEA Concert included several great pieces from the wind band repertoire. The group was introduced by Danny Watring, a retired band director from Grandview, and Dr. Fuchs' personal friend. The concert opened with Michael Markowski's JoyRiDE. The ensemble then played the Cailliet transcription of Richard Wagner's Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral. The next piece, Karl King's The Melody Shop, arranged by Andrew Glover, featured the euphonium section from the Fountain City Brass Band. The concert concluded with the third movement of David Maslanka's Eighth Symphony.
Following a concert in February 2020, the full group went on hiatus due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, the group still made a virtual recording of Pierre La Plante's American Riversongs while apart. Also during the hiatus, members of the brass section put together a brass quintet and recorded a virtual concert.
Dr. Fuchs conducted his last concert with the ensemble in the Summer of 2022. During the 2022-2023 school year, the group rotated through conductors. These included Dr. Brandon Robinson from Missouri Southern State University, Dr. Paul Popiel from the University of Kansas, and Dr. Andrew Chybowski from Pittsburg State University.
Dr. Chybowski took on full conducting responsibilities in the Fall of 2023. Under his direction, the group was selected to their second MMEA performance which took place on January 25th, 2024. The band performed works from a variety of different time periods. The concert opened with a 2023 Michael Daugherty composition entitled Passacaglia in Primary Colors. The second piece of the concert was the Grainger standard, Colonial Song. The third piece was the second movement of Andrea Reinkemeyer's Dos Danzas entitled "Gallo Fino" and was conducted by Dr. Brandon Robinson. The final selection was a transcription of the fourth movement of Respighi's Pines of Rome entitiled, "Of the Appian Way." The concert was well received.
In 2025, the Four State Symphonic Winds commissioned Andrea Reinkemeyer to write a piece in memory of our beloved friend and former conductor, Dr. Craig Fuchs. The piece is entitled O memory, hope, love and is being premiered at the December 2025 concert. The consortium members include:
Four State Symphonic Winds
Brian Beeson - Burkburnett (TX) High School Bulldog Brigade
Trey Wadell - Carl Junction High School Wind Ensemble
Jennifer Sager - Carthage High School
Frank Tracz - Kansas State University Wind Ensemble
Dan Duffield - Neosho Symphonic Band
Robert Davis - Olathe Northwest High School Band
Cooper Neil - Pittsburg High School Wind Ensemble
Andrew Chybowski - Pittsburg State University Wind Ensemble
Connor Callahan - Platte County High School
Jennifer Antonetti - Topeka High Trojan Band
Charles Pisarra - Union High School
Matt Smith - University of Kansas Wind Ensemble
Tim Oliver - University of Mississippi Wind Ensemble
Anya Pogorelova - Washburn University Wind Ensemble
The group continues putting on four concerts per year and works hard to achieve musical excellence. The organization has a solo competition which has a class for adults and high school students. The winners get to perform their solo with the Four State Symphonic Winds.