The Groton Hill Wind Ensemble is for advanced level student musicians of brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Members receive high quality training in weekly ensemble rehearsals led by Dr. Frederick Harris Jr. (director of jazz and wind ensembles at MIT), and weekly instrument sectionals, as well as frequent coaching with visiting guest artists. Membership is by audition.
Advanced musicians in the Groton Hill Wind Ensemble are also invited to try out for our Sinfonia Concert Orchestra. Dual enrollment students receive a tuition discount.
Rehearsals are open to prospective students! Experience a close-up look at the Groton Hill Wind Ensemble.
Submit this preview form to schedule a visit.
On Sunday, March 8, 2026, Groton Hill Wind Ensemble members rehearsed and performed with acclaimed saxophonist Tia Fuller, a Grammy-nominated Mack Avenue recording artist, composer, and bandleader!
Nowhere else can community music school students take the stage with legendary musicians, year after year—but we make it happen.
With exclusive guest artist experiences and seasoned directors, our youth ensembles will challenge you to grow together, all in our state-of-the-art facility.
Each year, Groton Hill Wind Ensemble students spread their wings to perform at the annual PRISM Concert in Cambridge alongside the MIT Wind Ensemble. It’s a great chance for students to engage with more experienced players and expand their musical horizons.
Advanced winds, brass, percussion and string bass students have the opportunity to perform in both the Sinfonia Concert Orchestra and Groton Hill Wind Ensemble at a special discounted rate! Just select both on your audition form, and we’ll do the rest.
Frederick Harris Jr. has been highly active with public school students and music educators throughout his career, leading seminars, guest conducting, and coordinating enrichment events. He currently serves as Music Director of the MIT Wind Ensemble and MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble, and as MIT’s Jazz Performance Studies Coordinator. He and the MIT Wind Ensemble have been featured on NPR, PBS, and in two New England Emmy-winning documentaries.
“Every time we gather to make music we have the opportunity to connect and grow. We expand our humanity by expressing our feelings through sound, silence, and space.”