The North Shore Youth Symphonic Winds is based in Auckland and is currently conducted by Leah Munroe and Mikee Bisquera. The band is focused primarily on improving and developing the skills of young musicians, in particular it provides an avenue for them to further their musical endeavours both during and after high school and university. Players ages range from 13-21 years old.
​
The band plays a broad range of symphonic repertoire that reflects a level of musical aptitude and sophistication seldom found in youth music. The repertoire ranges from detailed symphonic works, to popular show and movie themes, and everything in between.
2018 National festival (Wellington)
Our Conductor and Musical Director, Leah Munroe
​
Leah is an Auckland based musician and music educator. She is a graduate of Auckland University, completing her Masters of Music in flute performance in 2014. Leah is now heavily involved in music education, directing her own successful music school "Scherzo", as well as performing around Auckland and conducting. She is also very much enjoying being a mum to Eliana and Warrick.
​
Mikee's Bio and photo coming soon!
The main event on the band's calendar is the annual New Zealand Concert Bands Association National Concert Bands Festival. This is held over one weekend every year in August or September in a North Island city. Bands and ensembles from all over the North Island perform and are judged and critiqued by world-renowned adjudicators. The band also performs at the Matamata Brass Festival of Music with the Junior band, and holds regular community concerts, in particular on Auckland's North Shore.
In 2016 the NSYSWB won the top trophies at both the Matamata festival of music and the NZCBA national festival in Gisborne. The videos of our performances are available below. We were featured in the BandBeat magazine, to read the article please click here.
In 2017, we attended the Matamata festival of music and attained a Gold award, and our soloist Michaella Kim won the trophy for best soloist. At the NZCBA festival later in the year, we travelled to Whangarei. The band received a Gold award and Linda Filimoehala won the best solo in the Open category!
In 2018, we attained another Gold Award at the Matamata festival. The NZCBA Nationals were in Wellington and we entered the competitive category and placed 3rd! Won another Gold award and our ensembles received a mix of Gold and Silver awards. A huge highlight of this festival was that NSY won best overall solo in every category: Secondary (Ashleigh Fraser), Tertiary (Anga Uasike) and Open (Linda Filimoehala).
​
In 2019, we went to the Matamata festival in May to help the junior band, where we were awarded another Gold Award and Ashleigh Fraser won best soloist with her performance of Chaminade's Concertino. In August, we received a Gold award at the NZCBA festival (there was no competition category this year) and our solos and ensembles won every section for a second year in a row: Secondary (Aubrey Sima), Tertiary (David Paligora) and Open (Linda Filimoehala). This was Linda's third year running for winning the open solo!
​
In 2020 Mikee Bisquera came back from Japan and became co-conductor. the festival was sadly cancelled due to Covid-19, but we attended the 2021 festival in Napier and received another Gold award for the band performance plus an Adjudicator's award for best repertoire. In addition we received the award for Excellent performance of an entertaining work for 'Danzas Cubanas'. Our Percussion ensemble won a Gold award, Yvonne Wang won the best Tertiary solo and Linda Filimoehala won the Open solo for the fourth time. Overall Solo trophy winner for the festival was Yvonne Wang!
Another focus of the band is the social interaction accorded by young musicians rehearsing and performing with each other. Members are from a number of different high schools, universities and workplaces, so the band gives them the opportunity to meet and network with other people of a similar age and with similar hobbies.
If you are interested in joining the band please contact us through the website or at admin.nsyswb@gmail.com
2022 Rehearsal times:
Thursdays 5.30pm-7.30pm.
​
Venue: 13A Taharoto Road, Takapuna
2019 Awards
Ashleigh Fraser
Our Gold-award winning performance at the NZCBA National festival in Auckland
2018 Awards
2016 Trophies from the NZCBA Festival. Conductors Leah Munroe & Michelangelo Bisquera
~Gold Award!~ + ~Silver Award!~ Programmes: Mancini a Medley for Concert Band (A. Reed), conducted by Andrew Lyle Serenade (Derek Bourguois), conducted by Andrew Lyle Juan for the Road (Fergal Carroll), conducted by John Lauderdale Cartoon Symphony (arr. Clark), conducted by John Lauderdale Prelude and Celebration (James Curnow), conducted by Owen Auger Winter Dances (Fergal Carroll), conducted by John Lauderdale In addition, the solos & ensembles won 5 golds and 2 silvers.
2018 Awards