Perfect for free selections and concert programs! Introducing famous and classic favorites in wind ensemble music.
Members of school wind bands often get frequent chances to perform in public—at competitions (free-choice pieces), regular concerts, baseball game rallies, and even sports days! And every time, choosing the repertoire is the big headache.
Besides classic wind band standards and trending Japanese pop arrangements, if it’s a free-choice piece for a competition, you also want something that shows off your ensemble’s strengths—so when you think through everything, it can be hard to land on “this is it.” In this article, we’ll introduce a wealth of recommended wind band pieces that will surely help if you’re feeling stuck.
We’ve picked out a wide range—from dazzling numbers across various genres to stylish and cool pieces—so please find works that make you think, “We want to perform this!”
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Great for free-choice pieces and concert programs! Introducing famous and classic favorites of wind band music (31–40)
Polovtsian Dances from the opera Prince IgorAlexander Borodin
A piece famous for its poignant oboe theme solo.
The lively clarinet melody that follows is another highlight.
Since it’s been used in commercials and elsewhere, many people may have heard it.
The composer, Borodin, was multi-talented and also renowned as a chemist.
Galaxy Express 999Takekawa Yukihide
Known as one of the signature songs by the rock band Godiego, this piece was used as the theme song for the anime Galaxy Express 999.
It was composed by Yukihide Takekawa, the band’s lead vocalist.
You can enjoy a performance that shifts from a mystical intro—befitting a work about traveling through space—to an exhilarating, passionate orchestral sound.
It’s a piece that lends itself to a wide range of arrangements, such as call-and-response between flute, clarinet, and alto sax, as well as the inclusion of chorus.
Why not present its sound—both solemn and resplendent—at a concert opening or the opening ceremony of a competition?
Spells and DanceJohn Barnes Chance
Composed in 1960 by American composer John Barnes Chance, this is a wind ensemble piece.
Beginning with an exotic unaccompanied flute melody, it develops gradually into a more weighty texture, creating a strong sense of tension.
Its complex rhythms make it an addictive work.
“Retro” 2023 All-Japan Band Competition Required Piece IIIAmano Masamichi
A piece by Masamicz Amano, a master of film music who brilliantly revived 1970s–80s pop in contemporary wind band form.
Commissioned as the 2023 All-Japan Band Competition Set Piece III, it became a major talking point when 35 out of 99 ensembles chose it at the national finals.
With a structure that shifts from bright rock to sentimental ballad to crossover, it never lets the listener’s attention flag.
The authentic rhythms laid down by drums and congas, and the jazzy trumpet and sax solos, are just irresistibly cool.
You can feel the composer’s passion for “real pop” in every corner of the sound.
For bands that want to electrify the hall with a grooving performance, this could provide the ultimate showstopper.
SedonaSteven Reinek
This is a masterpiece of program music that depicts the landscapes of red rock mountains and deep canyons spread across Arizona, USA, with a magnificent sound.
It is a work by the American composer Steven Reineke, who is active across a wide range of genres from pop to classical.
The piece’s dynamic appeal may stem from the beautiful contrast between the noble resonance of the horns and the delicate melodies woven by the woodwinds.
First recorded in 2000 by the Washington Winds on the album “Rushmore,” it continues to be beloved by many ensembles.
With an emotional arc that feels like a journey through a story, it is sure to become an unforgettable highlight when programmed in a concert that aims to convey vivid scenes to listeners’ hearts.
Great for choosing pieces for free selections and concerts! Introducing classic and staple favorites of wind band music (41–50)
JupiterGustav Holst
One of the pieces from The Planets, the representative work by the British composer Gustav Holst.
At the time of composition, he was deeply interested in astrology, and this suite was inspired more by the mystique of astrology than by astronomy.
The saxophone mainly carries the melody, while the brass and percussion add brilliance, and the woodwinds, sparkling like shining stars, provide glittering embellishments that intertwine exquisitely.
It is a work of beauty with profound allure.
Disney’s Fantillusion!Bruce Healey
This piece is a wind band arrangement of the music used in the nighttime parade at Tokyo Disneyland from 1995 to 2001.
Because it was parade music, the original is a long piece—about 30 minutes—but the wind band version is a digest.
It’s a dazzling, sparkling work that’s sure to fill listeners with the same excitement they feel when watching a parade.
It would also make a great choice for the opening number of a concert.
