Current News
Lakeshore Wind Ensemble “The Winds of March – Honor and Remember” Concert
Saturday, March 2, 2024, 7:30 pm
Capitol Civic Centre, 913 South 8th Street, Manitowoc, WI
The upcoming Lakeshore Wind Ensemble concert, conducted by Jeremiah Eis, on Saturday, March 2 aims to “Honor and Remember” the 40-year history of the band by remembering musicians no longer with us who dedicated their time and talents to the band.
The Lakeshore Wind Ensemble honors late LWE founding member and contributor to the arts in our community, Dennis Kosloski, with the Wesley Teply Community Service Award in the Arts. He played for 40 years with the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble as first chair clarinet and concert master. He later taught himself to play the guitar, banjo, harmonica and also picked up saxophone, which he played with the Lakeshore Big Band. He played in several other community groups, including the Mystic Moods at the Manitowoc Senior Center, occasional solo gigs throughout the lakeshore area and in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
We welcome back to the Capitol stage, Manitowoc native and Kosloski’s daughter, Emily Kosloski, Los Angeles-based singer and television actress singing “I Dreamed a Dream” and “Bring Him Home” from Les Misérables and Ave Maria by Bach-Gounod and Someone to Watch Over Me by George and Ira Gershwin.
The ensemble also remembers foreign tours to Manitowoc’s Sister City, Kamogawa, Japan, which is celebrating 30 years of friendship, by playing music given to the ensemble, Super Mario Bros. Also in the concert line-up is a medley from the Japanese fantasy film My Neighbor Totoro, which is wildly popular in Japan. If you’re not familiar with the film, it is considered one of the top animation films, ranking the number-one animated film, on the 2012 Sight & Sound critics' poll of all-time greatest films. The film and its title character have become cultural icons in Japan and is recognized as one of the most popular characters in Japanese animation.
Join us for this touching evening as we “Honor and Remember” on Saturday, March 2, 7:30 pm at the Capitol Civic Centre. Tickets at cccshows.org or the Capitol Box Office, 920-683-2184.
Announcing the New Lakeshore Wind Ensemble Conductor and Music Director
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Job Posting LWE Administrator
The Lakeshore Wind Ensemble Association is seeking an Administrator. This candidate will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the ensemble including preparing contracts with the Capitol Civic Centre, organizing and ordering music, recording donations, and attending rehearsals and concerts for the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble and Lakeshore Big Band. Join this great group of musicians in bringing music to the lakeshore! Job description and qualifications are here. Please contact David Scherer, LWEA Board President for a full description and pay scale, 920-684-0870, lwea.mja83@gmail.com.
29th LWEA Young Artist Competition Winners announced
The Lakeshore Wind Ensemble Association is proud to announce the winners of their 29th Young Artist Solo Scholarship Competition, held Saturday, November 12, 2022, at the University Theatre on the University of Wisconsin Green Bay-Manitowoc Campus. The competition, sponsored by the LWEA, was open to high school and college undergraduate students, ages 16-25 playing brass, woodwind, piano or mallet percussion instruments. Scholarships were awarded to the top three soloists along with an opportunity for the first and second place winners to play with the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble at the March 4, 2023 “Winds of March” concert.
Entrance applications were received from high school students from Manitowoc Lincoln, Appleton Xavier and West De Pere and college students who attend St. Norbert College and Lawrence University.
The first-place winner is French hornist Nolan Henckel, a junior at Appleton Xavier High School. In addition to playing band at Xavier High School, he is also a member of the Fox Valley Youth Orchestra and the Lawrence Community Wind Ensemble. He studies with Dr. Bruce Atwell, professor of horn at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He will perform Morceau de Concert, by Camille Saint-Saens with the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble March 4 and receive a scholarship check for $1500.
Second-place winner is trombonist Liam Berry, a 2022 graduate of Manitowoc Lincoln High School, who is currently a freshman at Lawrence University studying trombone performance under professors Tim Albright and Michael Clayville. He performed Arthur Pryor’s Blue Bells of Scotland and will receive a scholarship check for $1000.
Third-place winner is flutist Anna Heinzen, who performed Concertino pour flûte, Op. 107 by Cécile Chaminade. Anna is a 2021 Roncalli High School graduate who is studying flute performance at St. Norbert College. She will be joining the wind ensemble on stage and performing the concertino. She will receive a scholarship check for $750.
Judges for the competition were Dr. Jill Hanes, music educator; Dr. Evan Chancellor, Director of Bands at Lakeland University; and Dr. Stanislava Varshavski, Director of Music Education, Holy Family Conservatory.
The Lakeshore Wind Ensemble Association thanks all the contestants and congratulates the winners on their accomplishments! You are invited to attend the March 4, 2023 “Winds of March” concert at the Capitol Civic Centre in downtown Manitowoc to hear the young musicians perform along with the band. View past winners and read full bios at www.uwgb.edu/lakeshore-wind-ensemble/young-artist-competition/winners/ Tickets and more information available at the Box Office, 920-683-2184, or cccshows.org.
The Lakeshore Wind Ensemble Association is excited to announce its new Lakeshore Wind Ensemble Conductor and Music Director, Jeremiah Eis. Under the baton of Jeremiah – a Manitowoc native and Lakeshore Wind Ensemble alumnus – the wind ensemble is “Beginning a New Musical Adventure” as it embarks on its 39th concert season. As part of the LWE’s search process for a new Music Director, Jeremiah Eis directed a patriotic concert for the wind ensemble, “An American Salute,” in May 2022 at the historic Capitol Civic Centre in downtown Manitowoc. Everyone left feeling a little closer together as a community as we celebrated good things about America such as jazz and our beautiful countryside, as well as the sacrifices made by our veterans. Jeremiah led the band in rousing marches, welcomed the Capitol Civic Centre Community Chorale as guest vocalists, and steered the ship during the Armed Forces Salute as military personnel in attendance stood while their branch of service song was played, including several band members
Jeremiah is currently a band teacher at St. Francis Xavier Middle School (Appleton) and an experienced music educator. He has held positions as the director of the Sheboygan Area Youth Symphony (concert orchestra), Assistant Professor of Music at Silver Lake College, and music teacher in the Gresham School District. Additionally, he has taught courses at St. Norbert College and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His conducting experience in Northeast Wisconsin includes the Silver Lake Wind Ensemble, Silver Lake Jazz Ensemble, Manitowoc Marine Band, N.E.W. Wind Symphony, and the St. Norbert Community Band.
An active low brass performer, he has performed with the 132nd Army Band, Dorf Kapelle, Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra, Newtonburg Brass Band, Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Symphonic Winds, and many others. He has also sat in as a guest with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Jeremiah has been featured as a soloist multiple times throughout his career, recorded compact discs, premiered works, had arrangements published, and received a Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association for conducting the Wisconsin Collegiate Honors Band.
Jeremiah Eis holds degrees from UW-Milwaukee, St. Norbert College, and UW-Manitowoc. He is currently working towards a Doctorate of Music Education through Liberty University, and is a graduate of the United States Army School of Music. As a staff sergeant in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, his military awards include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and a citation from the Wisconsin State Congress.
View details of the upcoming 39th Lakeshore Wind Ensemble and Big Band concert season and ticketing information at www.LakeshoreWindEnsemble.org. Season and group tickets are available at the Capitol Civic Centre box office, 913 S. 8th Street, Manitowoc, 920‑683‑2184.
Warren Gerds/Critic at Large: Review: Bands’ ‘Movie Night’ an afternoon hit in Manitowoc
Warren Gerds, Critic at Large, gives a shining review of the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble and Lakeshore Big Band Family “Movie Night” concert at the Capitol Civic Centre, highlighting the surprise dedication with the elaborate trumpet solo by conductor Chris Woller to commemorate he and his wife’s 20th wedding anniversary and also 20 years with the band!
Changes for the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble and Lakeshore Big Band, Conductor Search
Starting in June 2020, the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble and Lakeshore Big Band will become fully private. The Lakeshore Wind Ensemble Association (LWEA) will become the governing body of both the wind ensemble and big band. Since the ensembles will no longer be part of the UW-Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus, participation in the band will no longer be offered for credit to university students and the campus will no longer provide a music faculty member as the conductor/music director.
The Lakeshore Wind Ensemble is made up of talented musicians from across the lakeshore, several of these community members have played with the wind ensemble since its inception 37 years ago, and numerous former students have "come home" to the wind ensemble after completing their degrees at a four-year university. The common bonds of this diverse group are the love of good music and the joy of sharing that music with others.
The Lakeshore Wind Ensemble (LWE) was founded in the fall of 1983 by Professor Michael J. Arendt as part of the University of Wisconsin Center – Manitowoc County Community Outreach Program. Beginning with a membership of 35 student and community members, the LWE performed its first concert in March of 1984. Since that time, the wind ensemble has grown to a current membership of over 70 musicians, and encompasses a wide age span from students to retired persons, in a blend of youthful exuberance and musical maturity.
Professor Marc Sackman has served as the conductor and music director of the UW-Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus Lakeshore Wind Ensemble since January 2016. Full-time registered university students participating in the band for credit are also eligible for scholarships called “Talentships,” which are dispersed by the LWEA and the University of Wisconsin Manitowoc Foundation. Starting with the 2020-2021 LWE season, full-time university students participating in wind ensemble will continue to be eligible for Talentships, despite the class not being offered for university credit.
The Lakeshore Big Band was founded by Michael J. Arendt in 1990. The band was an outgrowth of the University of Wisconsin Center – Manitowoc County Lakeshore Wind Ensemble in response to the immense popularity of the “big band” music that the wind ensemble performed at its concerts. The big band is conducted by Paul Sucherman, a UW-Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus music professor and includes Manitowoc and Sheboygan campus university students as well as community members who bring a wide range of musical experiences to the organization.
The ensemble will continue making music to delight audiences and also continue to honor exemplary community members who substantially contribute to the arts with the Wes Teply Community Service Award in the Arts and also host the biennial LWEA Young Artist Competition which provides financial scholarships to college students and an opportunity to perform with the band at the March concert.
The LWEA is undergoing a conductor search for the 2020-2021 season which begins in September 2020. The LWE performs five concerts per year: October, December, January, March and May, at the Capitol Civic Centre in Manitowoc, WI. Generally, there are between 6 and 8 rehearsals per concert, with the final two rehearsals held at the Capitol Civic Centre. The rehearsals for the LWE are on Tuesday evenings, from 6-8 p.m. Paul Sucherman will continue to be the conductor of the LBB which presents two concerts, one in November and the other in April, also at the Capitol Civic Centre.
All qualified candidates are invited to submit a letter of interest and a resume by May 1, 2020 to: LWEA.MJA83@gmail.com. Click here to view a full job description of the LWE conductor search. For questions, please contact David Scherer, LWEA Board President, 920-684-0870
28th Young Artist Solo Scholarship Competition Winners
The Lakeshore Wind Ensemble Association is proud to announce the winners their 28th Young Artist Solo Scholarship Competition. The competition was held on Saturday, November 16, 2019 in the University Theatre at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus. Woodwind, Brass, Percussion and Piano students, ages sixteen to twenty-five, were eligible to audition. Scholarships were awarded to the top three soloists and the first and second place winners have the opportunity to solo with the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble at their March 7, 2020 “Winds of March” concert.
The first prize recipient of the 28th Young Artist Competition was saxophonist Becky Swanson. She is a senior at Lawrence University pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree under the instruction of Steven Jordheim. Becky will be performing the first movement of Saxophoonconcert by Henk Badings and will receive a scholarship check for $1,500.
Adam Nelson received second place. He is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee working towards degrees in French Horn Performance under Professor Greg Flint as well as Mathematical Sciences. Adam will be receive a scholarship check for $1,000 and will be performing Concerto for Horn No. 1, movement 1 by Richard Strauss at the wind ensemble’s March concert.
Pulaski High School junior, William Murphy was the third place winner. He studies piano with Dr. Michael Rector of the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. William performed Piano Concerto in A Minor, movement 1, by Edvard Grieg for his audition and received a scholarship check for $750.
The University of Wisconsin Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus Lakeshore Wind Ensemble congratulates the winners and all the soloists on their accomplishments. You are invited to attend the March 7, 2020 “Winds of March” Lakeshore Wind Ensemble concert at the Capitol Civic Centre in downtown Manitowoc, WI to hear the young musicians perform along with the band. Tickets and more information available at cccshows.org.
Lakeshore Wind Ensemble presents ‘Vienna by the Lake’ and Lakeshore Big Band presents ‘Anything Goes’
with LWE guest vocalist Manitowoc native Emily Kosloski, Broadway singer and Hollywood actress
Manitowoc, Wis. — The majestic Capitol Civic Centre will resound with classical and big band music when the UW-Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus' Lakeshore Wind Ensemble present “Vienna by the Lake” and the Lakeshore Big Band delight us with “Anything Goes” with tunes from the Big Band era with movie music and everything in-between on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. The LWE portion is conducted by Marc Sackman, Professor of Music and Director of Bands at UWO-Fox Cities and Conductor and Music Director of the UW-Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus Lakeshore Wind Ensemble. The LBB portion is conducted by Chris Woller, Guest Music Director and Conductor.
Joining the Wind Ensemble will be Manitowoc native and Broadway Singer/Hollywood actress Emily Kosloski. Kosloski is a Lincoln High School graduate and holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Northwestern University. She is a television and stage actress who has performed in the Broadway Company and with the National Touring Company of Les Misérables. Other theatre credits include performing on London’s West End and at the Geffen Playhouse with Joan Rivers in Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress, and in regional theaters around the country. Her television credits include recurring roles in “Weird City,” “The Fosters,” “Dallas” and guest stars on “Shameless,” “Southland,” and “I Feel Bad.” She will be singing classical music from the operas Die Fledermaus and La Bohème. Sackman’s inspiration for the program is the New Year’s Eve concert in Vienna with music by Johann Strauss, II, you may just get up from your seat and start waltzing in the aisles!
Woller and the Lakeshore Big Band will showcase tunes from the Big Band era: Anything Goes!, Roy Eldridge’s Rockin’ Chair and more! The Big Band is dedicating Chuck Mangione’s Feels so Good to late LWE Founder and Conductor Emeritus Michael J. Arendt and late fellow LBB trumpeter Glen Harcus. This song was chosen since it was played at Mike’s final Lakeshore Big Band concert. Two additional vocalists, who are also very talented, will be joining us on stage for the Big Band, local favorites David Bourgeois and Kim Hofmann.
Join us for this special duo concert where you hear a flavor of both bands! Following the concert, the audience is invited to a reception in the Capitol Civic Centre’s Mertens Family Lobby to meet the conductors, musicians and vocalists.
Tickets for the LWE & LBB concert are available at the Capitol Civic Centre Box Office and are $16 for adult seating, and $9 for students and all balcony seating. The quoted ticket prices do not include the CCC ticket fee or sales tax. For additional ticket information, you may call the CCC Box Office at 920-683-2184 or visit them on the web at cccshows.org.
Lakeshore Wind Ensemble presents ‘Festival of Christmas’
Tom Zalaski narrates, and local children join in on the celebration
Manitowoc, Wis. — The majestic Capitol Civic Centre will resound with joyous music of the holiday season when the UW-Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus' Lakeshore Wind Ensemble presents “Festival of Christmas” on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. The concert is conducted by Professor of Music Marc Sackman. Tom Zalaski, WFRV Channel 5 news anchorman, is back this year to narrate. Joining the Wind Ensemble will be vocalists David Bourgeois and Barbara Whitcomb, as well as the delightful Festival of Christmas Children’s Choir under the direction of Manitowoc’s Monroe Elementary music teacher David Bourgeois.
Sackman's plans for the program include traditional holiday tunes, a few sacred favorites and selections that will transport you back to Christmases of yesteryear. Join with LWE musicians as they prepare for the season of giving with, “Carol of the Drum” (The Little Drummer Boy), “O Magnum Mysterium,” “Minor Alterations-Christmas Through the Looking Glass” and more.
The excitement and enthusiasm children bring to the stage has enchanted audiences for years. The LWE’s Festival of Christmas Children’s Choir is made up of children, grandchildren and relatives of LWE members. Bourgeois has 14 eager and energetic children in the choir this year that have been busy practicing since late October. This year, the choir will be performing pieces written by Bourgeois “Merry Christmas to You,” “Hot Chocolate!,” “We’re Makin’ Cookies” and “Still, Still Still.”
The audience is invited to join with Sackman, Zalaski and the Festival of Christmas Children’s Choir for a medley of traditional carols. Sing-a-long selections include “Joy to the World,” “Deck the Halls,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,” “Good King Wenceslas,” “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “Silent Night,” “Jingle Bells” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”
Following the concert, the audience is invited to a reception in the Capital Civic Centre’s Mertens Family Lobby to meet the conductor, narrator, musicians and choir members.
Tickets for “Festival of Christmas” are available at the Capitol Civic Centre Box Office and are $16 for adult seating, and $9 for students and all balcony seating. The quoted ticket prices do not include the CCC ticket fee or sales tax. For additional ticket information, you may call the CCC Box Office at 920-683-2184 or visit them on the web at cccshows.org.
Lakeshore Big band to feature aerialist Linda DiRaimondo and Roncalli Jazz Band
Aerialist! Jazz! Romance! UW Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus Lakeshore Big Band presents “Evening of Passion” on Friday, November 1st, at the Capitol Civic Centre, Manitowoc. Conducted by Paul Sucherman, the concert will be a celebration of songs of love both lost and found.
Lakeshore Big Band is excited to have aerialist Linda DiRaimondo perform suspended from the battens above the Capitol Civic Centre stage during the concert. Linda DiRaimondo grew up in Manitowoc and started aerial dancing in 1998 while attending medical school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For the past 20 years, in addition to pursuing her dream of practicing psychiatry, Linda has been serving on the Board of Directors of Cycropia Aerial Dance and performing, choreographing, costume designing, and directing aerial dance performances with Cycropia and as a solo artist. She will be performing to Little Willie John’s classic 1956 tune, Fever and the 1952 cha-cha classic Kiss of Fire.
The Roncalli High School Jazz Band will be Lakeshore Big Band’s on-stage guests. They will be performing five selections under the direction of Roncalli band director, Corey VanSickle. Van Sickle stated the band is excited and has been practicing every Friday before school starts and has been looking forward to this opportunity since last spring! Roncalli Jazz Band includes freshman through senior high school musicians from throughout the lakeshore community.
“Evening of Passion” will feature the Manitowoc Public School District Music Parent Association’s Tunes-n-Taters silent auction winner, UW-Green Bay student Aliya Hammer, for “Solo with Lakeshore Big Band” for a solo or two
LBB has also prepared a few songs to honor the memory of LBB founder Michael J. Arendt. Gone too soon, but in our musical hearts forever.
Following the concert, the audience is invited to a reception in the Capitol Civic Centre’s Mertens Family Lobby to meet the conductor, vocalists, aerialist and members of the UW-Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus Lakeshore Big Band and Roncalli Jazz Band.
Tickets for “Evening of Passion” are available at the Capitol Civic Centre Box Office during business hours or on the website cccshows.org. The cost is $16 for adult tickets and $9 for students and balcony seating, CCC preservation fee and taxes additional. For further ticket information, call the CCC Box Office at 920-683-2184. View dates and details about upcoming Lakeshore Wind Ensemble and Lakeshore Big Band concerts at www.LakeshoreWindEnsemble.org
Manitowoc Community mourns loss of music leader Michael Arendt
Michael J. Arendt, founder and conductor of the Manitowoc Lakeshore Wind Ensemble and Big Band as well as Prof. Emeritus of Music at the Manitowoc Campus, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, July 16, 2019. He also chaired the Department of Music for all UW Colleges. He served as a conductor and principal horn with Green Bay Symphony among many other musical achievements and honors. The family will greet relatives and friends at the Harrigan Parkside Funeral Home on Monday, July 22, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at St. Francis of Assisi on Waldo, 1121 North 14th Street, Manitowoc. More here.
A note from Manitowoc Campus CEO Rachele Bakic was sent Friday morning:
“It is with deep regret that I inform you of the loss to both our campus and community. Professor Michael Arendt, Founder and Conductor Emeritus of the Manitowoc Campus Lakeshore Wind Ensemble and Big Band, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, July 16, 2019. Our hearts and prayers go out to Michael’s family and friends. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at St. Francis of Assisi on Waldo, 1121 North 14th Street, Manitowoc. For those who may not know, Michael began teaching Music Theory, Music History, Applied French Horn, and Conducting in 1971, until his retirement in spring of 2006. Professor Arendt served as Conductor/Music Director of the LWE from its founding in 1983 until May 3, 2014…”