Nashville African American Wind Symphony performing in 2025
The Nashville African American Wind Symphony’s mission is both straightforward and profound. The 46-member symphony, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, seeks to highlight the skills of outstanding Black classical and symphonic artists. But their larger purpose — which especially resonates during June, which is Black Music Month — is to showcase the fact that there are diverse voices within the classical world, and that this genre deserves the same exposure and attention paid to the other styles that are part of the Black musical experience. The ensemble includes multiple woodwind, brass, low brass and percussion instrumentalists. While quite versatile and able to excel in other genres, these musicians are foremost champions of classical and symphonic sounds.
“We’ve been dedicated since the beginning to making sure that there’s recognition for and awareness of Black voices within the classical world,” says Kendra Smith, who serves as both director of operations and a euphonium player in NAAWS. “We’re committed to showing audiences that symphonic music can be a great vehicle for storytelling, representation and impact in all communities, and we’re always happy to let people know and hear that through our programs.”
NAAWS has three special programs coming very soon. The first two celebrate and honor the observance of Juneteenth, a federal holiday recognizing Union troops arriving in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, to formally announce the freedom of the last group of enslaved people in the United States. On Sunday, June 14, the ensemble will perform their fifth annual Juneteenth Concert at the Schermerhorn. NAAWS will also appear at the Juneteenth615 party in Centennial Park on Friday, June 19, which will combine their musical performance with a fireworks display. And a spinoff group called the NAAWS Big Band, which plays classic jazz and swing numbers, will be back in Centennial Park on Saturday, June 20, as the guest performer for the park’s weekly Big Band Dance.
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Dr. Bruce V. Ayers Jr. founded NAAWS in 2020, originally intending it to be a platform for college-educated musicians who wanted to continue performing symphonic and classical music. But it quickly expanded into a platform for Black symphonic musicians to perform regularly, and it’s become a cultural symbol. The ensemble addresses issues ranging from academic — the lack of Black representation in formal concert band settings — to broader image concerns. The group lets the world know there are and have been outstanding African American classical and symphonic musicians, part of a Black classical tradition dating back decades.
Since its first performance in 2022, NAAWS has greatly expanded its community outreach and impact. Besides Ayers, others involved in the selection of programming include associate music director Alex Nichols, who also currently serves as the director of bands at East Nashville Magnet High School, and assistant music director Rontrell Callahan, who’s also the director of NAWWS’ youth initiative and serves as band director at James Lawson High School.
Another key component of NAAWS’ mission is their Youth Honor Band, which also began in 2022. The program brings together gifted students from both middle and high schools throughout the region and provides them with a rigorous educational structure that includes master classes and mentorship.
“This program is where we help get the next great generation of wind symphonic players,” Smith says. “It’s so important to us that we keep encouraging and developing talented players to maintain that tradition of excellence and also help people get over the notion that symphonic music is something that’s not a part of our heritage and tradition.”
