Directed by Emily Threinen, the University Wind Ensemble is a select ensemble composed of 60 of the University’s finest graduate and undergraduate wind and percussion musicians:

Flute & Piccolo: Zhaoqing Jing, Chia-Wei Yeh, Jessica Znaniecki
Oboe: Maya Chilcote, Kallen Hanzsek-Brill
Clarinet: Baiyu Chen, Meng-Chien Chen, Xinran Liu, Dylan Moreno, Isaac
Quaas, Ho Yan Tang
Bass Clarinet: Xujing Yao
Bassoon: Duncan Henry, Beck Rusley
Alto Saxophone: Alexis Aguilar, Zeyi Tian
Tenor Saxophone: Cheng Wang
Baritone Saxophone: Zijian Zhang
Horn: Alexander Berglund, Carson Gramm, Xiaomin Li, Joshua Sperr
Trumpet: Jacob Meixner, James Mons, Wentao Xiao
Trombone: Austin Kulm, Jose Roman
Bass Trombone: Di Wang
Euphonium: Max Theroux
Tuba: Perry Brennan
Percussion: Spencer Ainza, Aarush Bothra, Angela Lara Cabrera, Eric
Green, Robert Skoglund, Charles Smith, Siyu Zhou

Marissa Benedict was born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Marin County, where she started playing piano at age 7, violin at age 9, and trumpet at age 10 (studying with Joe Alessi, Sr.). She continued playing all three instruments until graduating from high school and moving to Los Angeles to attend USC, earning a Bachelor of Music degree in Trumpet Performance (June 1984), studying with Boyde Hood.

Benedict is the Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Before leaving for Minnesota, she was a freelance trumpet player in Los Angeles for 34 years. She is currently principal trumpet for The Pasadena Symphony/Pasadena Pops and plays regularly with the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Los Angeles Master Chorale. Benedict recently performed and recorded Mahler’s 8th symphony in the Minnesota Orchestra’s Mahler Project, played for Charles Lazarus’ CD Merrier and Brighter (2022), Jack Stamp’s Chamber Music Volume 1 (released July 2023), and the Los Angeles Trumpet Ensemble’s Homage (release: August 2023), featuring eight of the top trumpeters in Southern California. She also toured with the L.A. Philharmonic on their "Boston to London" 2018 tour, and 2019 tours to Asia and Scotland. She performed at the 2019 Academy Awards (Oscars) and recorded "Celebrating John Williams" with the L.A. Phil under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel.

A very active and in-demand studio player, she can be heard on nearly 160 motion picture recordings, including Spider-Man No Way Home, Avatar 2: The Way of the Water, Lightyear, Incredibles II, Spider-Man Far from Home, Coco, Moana, Rogue One, Spider-Man, Homecoming, Indiana Jones IV, Avatar, The Polar Express, Spider-Man 2, Monsters, Inc., and War of the Worlds. Her television studio recording credits include Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, Deep Space Nine, JAG, Commander in Chief, and Galavant.

Benedict's current trumpet studio consists of 16 trumpet students (Undergraduate, Master’s degree, and Doctoral of Musical Arts), ranging from Bachelor of Arts, Music Ed, Music Performance, double majors of Computer Science/Performance, and MuEd/Performance. All of her graduated MuEd and Performance majors are currently teaching music and/or performing in the Minneapolis area. She continues to recruit and give masterclasses and special guest performances throughout the Twin Cities and across the US and remains very active in the community.

Benedict’s first book was released in 2022 by Carl Fischer Publishing. This book brings 40 years of expertise to focus on fundamentals and leading players through daily routines required to attain a high level of performance ability and the necessary skills to improve and maintain an efficient practice regimen. Read more and purchase.

In July 2023, she released a digital CD, Continental Drift, which consists of music commissioned and composed by Libby Larsen, Jack Stamp, Steven Bramson, Peter Yarde Martin, Peter Lawrence, and Aaron Smith for Solo Trumpet with diverse accompaniments. Please visit the Performance page for audio links, sheet music, and details.

Marissa Benedict is a Yamaha Educator and Performing Artist.

Dean Sorenson is Associate Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Minnesota as well as a prolific and highly sought-after composer, arranger, trombonist, educator, and clinician.

Dean’s latest recording project is COLORS OF THE SOUL, an album of original music for sextet. His most recent publications include THE TOTAL JAZZ THEORY WORKBOOK, EXCELLENCE IN JAZZ PEDAGOGY, and FIRST PLACE FOR JAZZ, a new and innovative method for beginning jazz players. He is the co-author of the STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE JAZZ ENSEMBLE METHOD and ADVANCED JAZZ ENSEMBLE METHOD, an innovative and comprehensive series for middle school and high school jazz ensembles. He is also the author of JAZZ COMBO SESSION and FIRST JAZZ PERFORMANCE, also under the Standard of Excellence banner. He has composed numerous pieces for concert band and jazz ensemble, published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company. He is also a contributing author to TEACHING MUSIC THROUGH PERFORMANCE IN JAZZ, edited by Richard Miles and published by GIA. As an advocate of jazz education and the expansion of the repertoire, he continues to develop creative materials and methods to help students and teachers better understand the art form. An outstanding clinician, conductor, and soloist, he is frequently featured at festivals and conventions around the country and abroad. He also maintains a full schedule of concert and recording dates as a Yamaha performing artist.

Mr. Sorenson has composed and arranged for numerous ensembles, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Airmen of Note, the United States Air Force Band, the United States Navy Band, and the Minnesota Orchestra. He is active as a commissioned composer and arranger for jazz ensemble, symphony orchestra, concert band, and chamber ensembles, and has also written several sacred choral pieces.

Emily Threinen is an Associate Professor of Music and serves as Director of Bands at the University of Minnesota School of Music in the Twin Cities. In this position, she conducts the acclaimed University Wind Ensemble, guides the graduate wind band conducting program, assists in undergraduate conducting, and provides administrative leadership for all aspects of the University of Minnesota-TC Band Program.

Prior to her position here, Threinen served as Director of Bands and Artistic Director of Winds and Brass at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Director of Bands at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia; Director of the Duke University Wind Symphony in Durham, North Carolina; Director of the Concordia University Wind Ensemble in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Conductor of the Dodworth Saxhorn Band in Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Director of Bands and Instrumental Music at Harding High School in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she received the Outstanding Teacher Award.

Threinen consistently works with composers, arrangers, and performing artists of varied disciplines. Residencies and projects with composers are integral to her creative work. Threinen has been published in multiple volumes of the GIA Teaching Music Through Performance in Band book series, where she has been recognized as a strong scholarly contributor. She is active, across the nation and abroad (appearances in Costa Rica, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, Spain, Brazil, and Canada), as a guest conductor, clinician, and conference presenter.

A strong advocate for music education, Threinen is a proud Yamaha Master Educator and has served on the Executive Council of the Institute for Composer Diversity. In 2019, Threinen conducted the NAfME All-National Concert Band at the National Conference in Orlando, Florida. Additionally, she is an active member of these organizations: American Bandmasters Association (ABA), World Association for Symphonic Band and Ensembles (WASBE), College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), Big Ten Band Directors Association, National Band Association (NBA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and Pi Kappa Lambda and Kappa Kappa Psi as an honorary member.

Threinen is a native of Minnesota and is a proud alumna of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Class of 1999: Bachelor of Music Degrees in Clarinet Performance and K-12 Music Education.