The Fraser Valley Wind Ensemble

The Fraser Valley Wind Ensemble is a community wind ensemble based out of Langley, British Columbia.  Our mission is to bring communities together through music, and we do so by performing regularly throughout the Fraser Valley and lower mainland, often in collaboration with other local musicians, composers, or ensembles. Under the direction of renowned music educators Mr. Rob Goddard (Artistic Director), Mr. Josh Rauw (Assistant Conductor) and Dr. Wayne Jeffrey (Director Emeritus), the Fraser Valley Wind Ensemble has established itself as a mainstay in the local music community, engaging audiences with its mix of classic, contemporary, and original works for wind band.  

Originally founded in 2011 as the Kwantlen University Alumni Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the band quickly expanded to include musicians from a variety of musical backgrounds. The name was subsequently changed to better reflect the diversity of its members, and the Fraser Valley Wind Ensemble was born.  Now an established ensemble, it is comprised of people from all walks of life – from students and steel workers, to engineers and educators – who all share a passion for music, and a desire to perform quality repertoire at a high musical calibre, while still maintaining an enjoyable and relaxed rehearsal environment.

Since its inception, the ensemble has performed music from a wide variety of composers and musical styles, including Bach, Bernstein, Grainger, Holst, de Meij, Whitacre, Williams, and more. Performance highlights include our annual Christmas concert, joint concerts with the Kwantlen University Wind Symphony, the Richmond “Music In Our Schools” concert, and the Ladner Band Festival.  In 2013, the Fraser Valley Wind Ensemble had the honour of being the featured guest ensemble at the reputable “Anches d’Azur” Music Festival in South France.

Please contact us for details on rehearsal, and visit our concert page for a list of upcoming performances.

Artistic Director: Rob Goddard

Rob Goddard received his Bachelor of Performance on trumpet from the University of British Columbia. He received his Masters in Education from the University of Victoria. Rob has performed on trumpet with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony, the CBC Chamber Orchestra, the Symphonie Canadiana, the Mississauga Symphony, the Victoria Symphony and the Okanagan Symphony. He is a founding member of A Touch of Brass quintet and toured extensively with them. Rob continues to perform on both trumpet and piano throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Rob has been a music instructor at the Langley Fine Arts School for the past 23 years. In addition to teaching the ‘music major’ courses, which emphasize chamber music, theory, composition and ear training, Rob also teaches the Senior Wind Ensemble, Senior Jazz Band and the Langley Fine Arts Orchestra. These large ensembles have been the recipients of numerous awards and international invitations.

Director Emeritus: Dr. Wayne Jeffrey

Dr. Jeffrey, recognized as one of Canada’s leading music educators and conductors, draws on a vast range of experiences in the performing arts and education.  Presently, he is Director of Instrumental Studies at the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Department of Music.  He is Artistic Director of the Kwantlen University Wind Symphony, Music Director of the Pacific Chamber Winds, and since the 2007/08 season as Co-Artistic Director/Hornist with the Canada West Chamber Orchestra.

Dr. Jeffrey’s unique background includes studies in Education, Aesthetics, Performance and Entrepreneurial Management.  He has studied Music Education, Horn and Conducting at the Universities of Toronto, Western Ontario and Rochester, culminating in a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Education and Conducting from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.  European studies and performance opportunities have occurred in England, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Italy.

Dr. Jeffrey’s studio and classroom teaching experience includes all levels in various educational environments, summer music camps and masterclasses in Canada, United States, Europe and the United Kingdom. He has served as Artistic Director of the Courtenay Youth Music Centre, and as Festival Director of Summer Music from the Comox Valley.  He has also served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto, the University of Cincinnati (College Conservatory of Music), and a guest Lecturer at the University of British Columbia and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.  Private students and music education majors occupy professional positions in all Canadian provinces and abroad.

Orchestral and chamber performances occur across Canada, including Victoria, Vancouver, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Windsor, London, Hamilton, Toronto, Kingston, Montreal, Fredericton and Halifax. In addition he appears frequently as horn instructor, lecturer, performer, guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator of music festivals throughout North America and Europe.

Presently located in the Vancouver area, he performs as a freelance hornist regularly with orchestras on Vancouver Island and throughout the lower Mainland including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Recent guest conducting appearances include the Toronto Wind Orchestra, the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, the Surrey Youth Orchestra, Irish Youth Wind Ensemble, and the Upper Rhine Youth Symphony in Germany. In 2009 Dr. Jeffrey will be the guest horn instructor in Stauben, Germany, and in 2010, he was the guest conductor of the National Youth Band of Canada. He is very active in promoting Canadian music, pedagogy and repertoire development and arts advocacy at provincial, national and international conferences. As a music director his recent experiences have been in all aspects of programming, broadcasting, recording, as well television and radio interviews.