THE CATALOG OF AMERICAN WIND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA COMMISSIONS UNDER ROBERT AUSTIN BOUDREAU FROM 1957 TO 2019

Abstract

The American Wind Symphony Orchestra (AWSO) commissioned over 400 works from 1957 to 2019 under the direction of Robert Austin Boudreau with the C. F. Peters Corporation publishing about 200 works. In 2022, Boudreau donated the AWSO works to the University of Maryland Bands and were cataloged by the author of this dissertation with the assistance of Jeffrey Renshaw’s book The American Wind Symphony Commissioning Project: A Descriptive Catalog of Published Editions, 1957-1991 which catalogs 159 works. Discoveries were made to include 255 AWSO works not included in Renshaw’s book.This dissertation is divided into three parts. The first (Chapters 1 and 2) focuses on the history of AWSO, its commissioning project and general programming practices, funding and operations, and the key individuals who created and developed the ensemble over its 62-year history. The second part (Chapter 3) catalogs 255 AWSO works listing the instrumentation, important musical characteristics, program notes, and research resources. It is also intended to act as a supplement to Renshaw’s book for wind band and orchestra conductors searching for wind repertoire. The third part (Chapters 4-6) examines the potential limitations and marketability of the AWSO works as well as future research.