For the first time, Wind Ensemble is taking a trip to University of Illinois (U of I) to perform with the university’s second year band on Tuesday, February 23.

“Every year Wind Ensemble generally enters a contest called Superstate.  It’s where bands in Illinois submit recordings of their best works or their best pieces for a contest.  If you get selected, you perform at U of I in their big auditorium.  You’re chosen as one of the best ensembles in the state,” said Madiha Molani, junior and two year Wind Ensemble member. “Instead of applying for [the contest] Superstate,” this year, Wind Ensemble is going to be able to perform with U of I’s band: an experience completely new to Wind Ensemble and unrelated to Superstate.

Superstate may have been a “really great experience,” Molani said, but she also believes that just getting to perform at U of I will be as well.  

“The people who went or the Wind Ensemble that went [last year could agree that] you felt like you were playing in a professional orchestra or a professional band at a very high level because the collegiate bands are really high level performers,” Molani said.

Even though the high school’s Wind Ensemble is not a collegiate or professional band, it does require an audition to be accepted into it.

“As a freshman, you come into Concert Band and after that you can audition for either Symphonic Band or Wind Ensemble.  You can only get into Wind Ensemble with an audition and it’s the highest band here at Lake Zurich,” Molani said.

Although Wind Ensemble is the highest level band at the high school, the members will get the chance to perform with bands of even higher levels.

Laura Zborovsky, sophomore and first year Wind Ensemble member, said, “I think that Mr. Thomson is always looking for new opportunities for us to go and play with other bands and see how we’re different from other bands.”