The Wind Ensemble (Band) is the premiere performing ensemble of the Jackson State University band program.  The Wind Ensemble consists of talented students majoring in music and other disciplines throughout the University.  The Wind Ensemble performs a wide range of orchestral transcriptions and original band compositions representing various musical styles, and periods.  Emphasis, however, is placed on the standard band literature of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Jackson State’s Wind Ensemble has been recognized for its long legacy of outstanding musical accomplishments.  In 1965, under the baton of William W. Davis, the Symphonic Band performed at the New York World’s Fair, becoming the first historical African-American college to perform at a world’s fair. 

Since the landmark New York World’s Fair performance, the Wind Ensemble has performed at many events throughout the country. A few of the most notable performances by the symphonic wind ensemble are as follows:  In 2007, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble accompanied Dr. Otis Murphy, professor of saxophone, Indiana University in the performance of Fantasia for Alto Saxophone and Band by Claude T. Smith and Persuasion for Alto Saxophone and Band by Sammy Nestico; The Biennial Conference of the National Association for the Study and Performances of African American Music, Jackson, Mississippi, 2007; The Eighteenth Annual Humanities Festival, Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, Mississippi, 2007; The Northeast Louisiana Fine Arts Festival, Monroe, Louisiana, 1999; The National Black Music Caucus, Atlanta, Georgia, 1997; and The National Black Music Caucus, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1995. As the cornerstone of the Jackson State University’s band program, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Band) is recognized as a “national treasure” and a “benchmark” for musical excellence.  The Wind Ensemble (Band) is frequently invited to perform at numerous events throughout the nation and the Jackson State University service area.