The University of New Mexico Wind Symphony is one of the premiere college wind ensembles in the United States having performed at the National and Southwest Regional Conferences of the College Band Directors National Association.

The UNM Wind Symphony has commissioned or been a member of a commissioning consortium for seventeen new works for wind ensemble in the past decade, including works from Pulitzer Prize winning composer Michael Colgrass, Joseph Turrin, Robert Rodriguez, Daren Hagen, Stephen Gryc, Frank Ticheli, Dan Welcher, James Mobberley, and Elliott Schwartz.  Works commissioned and premiered by the Wind Symphony have been performed by such prestigious ensembles as the New York Philharmonic (Fandango on Live from Lincoln Center), and the President’s Own, United States Marine Band.

The UNM Wind Symphony has recorded two CDs on Summit Records with soloists from the New York Philharmonic.  Fandango features Philip Smith, Principal Trumpet and Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombone and includes three commissioned works by the UNM Wind Symphony.  Illuminations features Joseph Alessi performing contemporary and early 20^th century solo trombone/band works.  Recordings of the UNM Wind Symphony have been broadcast on radio across the United States and in Europe. A third CD, Classic Solos for Winds, features UNM professors Kevin Vigneau, Valerie Potter and Keith Lemmons accompanied by the Wind Symphony and will be released soon.

Beginninng in 2005, the UNM Wind Symphony became the accompanying ensemble for the Alessi Seminar, held on the University of New Mexico campus in alternating years.