Conducted by Dr. Russel Mikkelson, the Ohio State University Wind Symphony is widely recognized as one of the country’s elite wind bands. It is populated by the most accoplished brass, woodwind and percussion musicians in the School of Music. Committed to the creation of new music for winds, this ensemble has commissioned music by composers including David Maslanka, Eric Stokes, Dan Welcher, David Gillingham, John Stevens, Donald Crockett, Daniel Godfrey, Charles Rochester Young, William Bolcom and Aaron Jay Kernis.

One of the goals of the Wind Symphony is to provide students opportunity to interact with some of the leading composers and musical minds of our time. Visitors have included such notable musicians as John Corigliano, Lukas Foss, Krzysztof Penderecki, Gunther Schuller, Joseph Schwantner, Jennifer Higdon, Frank Ticheli, Augusta Read Thomas, John Mackey, John Stevens, Steven Bryant, David Gillingham, Jonathan Newman, Roger Cichy and Percy Grainger biographer John Bird. Graduates of the Wind Symphony hold positions as professional orchestral musicians, soloists, conductors, members of the Washington-based military bands, university professors, and some of the world's leading music educators.

 Since 2000 the Wind Symphony has recorded five compact discs including Sounds, Shapes and Symbols (Mark Records 2001), Jubilare! (Mark Records 2003), Winds of Nagual (Naxos 2007), Southern Harmony (Naxos 2009) and Rest (Naxos 2012). The Wind Symphony has performed at the 2003 College Band Directors National Association Convention, the Ohio Music Educators Association Conference six times (2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2013), with BalletMet Columbus (2003, 2011), and presents numerous performances both on and off campus.

Please go to the Recordings page to hear audio clips of Wind Symphony CDs.