Castle Hill Wind Orchestras End of Year 2026 Concert

Castle Hill RSL’s Youth Wind Orchestra and North West Wind Ensemble come together in November for a special concert that celebrates everything the ensembles stand for; incredible musicianship, exceptional work ethic, genuine camaraderie, and a deep commitment to community; all under the musical and artistic direction of James Brice OAM.
Join us as we round out 2026 with an unforgettable afternoon of music performed by the Castle Hill Wind Orchestras!
Early bird tickets are now on sale.
https://www.nwwe.org.au/store/end-of-year-2026

The Castle Hill RSL Youth Wind Orchestra (YWO) has a proud tradition of being regarded as one of Australia’s finest symphonic wind bands.

Established in 1996, and formerly known as the City of Sydney Youth Band, this 70-75-piece community wind orchestra provides young musicians with outstanding opportunities to perform a diverse range of quality wind band repertoire. Rehearsing for two and a half hours every week, the YWO presents around 20 performances each year. Members range in age from as young as 10 through to 19 years of age. Under the musical and artistic direction of Mr James Brice OAM, the ensemble performs extensively throughout Sydney and NSW.

Competing regularly at National and State Championship events, the YWO has won an impressive 34 Australian National and NSW State titles since 2003 with most notable achievements as both the 2026 Australian National Junior A Grade Concert and Open B Grade Concert Champions, in addition to their Open B Grade Concert Band second place success at the 2026 NSW State Band Championships.

The Castle Hill RSL North West Wind Ensemble (NWWE) was established in 2003 and has grown to become one of Australia’s finest and most reputable wind orchestras.

Under the baton of Musical and Artistic Director Mr James Brice OAM, the NWWE is an exceptionally active and highly regarded community ensemble, drawing musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds. Members include graduates of the nationally acclaimed Castle Hill RSL Youth Wind Orchestra, local music teachers, tertiary students, Sydney Conservatorium graduates and talented community musicians from diverse occupations.

The NWWE has an extensive performance and recording history, including 16 NSW State and 9 Australian National Championship titles, international CD releases of No Strings Attached – A Date with the North West Wind Ensemble (2018) and Wild Nights (2008), and recordings for Manhattan Beach Music, Reed Music and the ABODA NSW Good Music Guide (Parts 1 & 2). NWWE has also launched Australian Sounds projects in 2022, 2023 and 2025, alongside numerous reference recordings for Australian composers.

The NWWE is renowned for its interpretation of both classic and contemporary wind band and orchestral repertoire, while actively supporting and promoting new Australian works for wind orchestra as part of its standard repertoire.