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Mexican band music is rich, vibrant and storied—yet the repertoire for wind ensemble remains remarkably hard to find. This gap may stem from the genre’s deep roots in American musical culture, with its own conventions, instrumentation, and stylistic expectations. Until recently, few channels existed to support the creation, performance, and dissemination of wind music by Mexican composers.

Recognizing this gap led to a transformative initiative by the and , director of bands at Dartmouth, that now spans borders and connects artists, institutions, and audiences. Founded in 2022, the was born out of a desire to amplify the voices of Mexican composers through a deep collaboration with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, aka UNAM, and a growing network of U.S. and Mexican institutions. The initiative creates opportunities for musical exchange, commissions new works, and ensures that these innovative compositions reach a wide audience.

Now, in a landmark creative partnership, the ����Ӱ�� is leading a commission for a new symphony for band by pioneering composer Arturo Márquez, with many universities and institutions contributing to its creation as consortium partners. The new work will premiere on Feb. 13, 2026, as part of the ����Ӱ��’s opening season following a major expansion and renovation.

Additionally, Dartmouth will be commissioning and creating a platform for the winner of the annual Márquez competition, the latest step in the Mexican Repertoire Initiative’s amplification of work by the next generation of inventive Mexican composers.

Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Exchange

This commitment to cultural exchange and artistic representation aligns closely with the ����Ӱ��’s mission to foster connection through the arts and deepen our understanding of the world.

“The arts have always been a powerful platform for increasing understanding and fostering connection across cultures,” says Howard Gilman ’44 Executive Director . “The Mexican Repertoire Initiative embodies this mission by creating space for diverse voices to be heard and celebrated, ensuring that these works resonate with audiences far and wide.”

As the initiative continues to evolve, its impact extends beyond performances and commissions. Luis Manuel Sánchez, UNAM partner and conductor, emphasizes the broader significance of the work: “What the initiative is doing is unifying—because that’s what art and music are about: to unify humanity, to not separate us, and to find those points of coexistence where we meet.”

Since its founding, the initiative has built a robust framework for international collaboration. The partnership with UNAM has led to symposia, tours, and academic exchanges that deepen the knowledge and craft of young musicians in Mexico and the United States. These opportunities allow young musicians from both countries to learn, perform, and grow together.

“Our partnership with UNAM centers around the sharing of resources,” says Messier. “Together, we have established annual conductor and student exchanges that allow students to come from Hanover to Mexico and vice versa to share and make music together.”

A milestone moment in this exchange was the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble’s first tour of Mexico City in March 2023, where the ensemble performed alongside the Banda Sinfónica FaM UNAM at Sala Nezahualcóyotl and the CECAMBA Banda Sinfónica in Puebla.

The DCWE has also showcased works from the Mexican Repertoire Initiative at renowned venues across the U.S., including New England Conservatory’s historic Jordan Hall, Smith College, and Cornell University.

A Creative Network of Composers and Performers

In addition to performance and exchange, a growing network of over 90 consortium partners—including institutions such as Yale University, University of Michigan, and University of Texas at Austin—supports the creation of new works. For composers, this support is invaluable.

With this initiative, Mexican composers who have historically not written for the genre are stepping into the form in a new way. Responding to demand and the promise of visibility, they are beginning to create original works for wind band that are deeply authentic—infused with their own musical language, cultural references, and artistic voice.

“We are dedicated to creating music that speaks about our identity, that speaks about our communities, that speaks about our towns,” says Mexican composer Rodrigo Loman. 

And for performing artists and audiences, representation matters. As UNAM student Itzuri Vallebueno Estrada notes, “Mexican music reflects our way of living—a way of living that is warm and friendly, with strong feelings of community.”

By offering pathways to publication and performance, the initiative ensures that these new works resonate beyond Dartmouth’s concert halls, reaching musicians and audiences worldwide.

A Landmark Commission: Arturo Márquez Joins the Initiative

A pivotal moment for the initiative is on the horizon: Márquez, one of Mexico’s most celebrated composers, will compose an original work for wind ensemble, to be premiered by the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble in winter 2026. Known for his iconic Danzón No. 2, Márquez brings his legacy as a towering figure in Latin American music to the initiative.

The commission is expanding the growing coalition hosted by the Mexican Repertoire Initiative, enabling partner universities and institutions to play an active role in bringing Márquez’s—and other composers’—music to life.

Messier announced the new commission last month at the 2025 College Band Directors National Association Convention in a session with Márquez, where the composer highlighted his favorite quote: “Paint your village, and you will paint the world.”

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Chase Harvey ’25, left, of the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble joined National Autonomous University of Mexico students Diego Israel Hernández Santillán and Sandro Daniel Rivas Mendoza in the tuba section for their combined concert at Sala Nezahualcóyotl in Mexico City in March 2023. (Photo by Katie Lenhart)

Tolstoy’s words resonate deeply with the mission of the Mexican Repertoire Initiative. Since its inception, the project has grown into what Alberto Fierro-Garza, consul general of Mexico in Boston, has called “the most important bilateral cultural initiative in New England.” 

The annual meeting of musicians of both countries, working together in expanding the Repertoire and their partnerships, is a perfect example of the power of culture for a common purpose, he added.

Supporting the Next Generation of Composers

The Mexican Repertoire Initiative is also working with the Arturo Márquez Chamber Orchestra Composition Competition to offer the annual winners a platform to develop new works for wind band. Through this collaboration, winners receive a commission for an original work, amplifying the vibrant voices of Mexico’s next generation of composers.

With a slate of new commissions set to premiere in 2026, the initiative continues to cultivate opportunities for composers to share their voices with a global audience. The initiative has already resulted in over 20 commissions by composers such as Rodrigo Martinez Torres, Nubia Jaime Donjuan, and Juan Pablo Contreras.

Martinez, who is now a graduate student in the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies Sonic Practice MFA program, composed Onda Tropical, which premiered last November at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston, performed by DCWE. 

“It was powerful seeing a piece composed for an instrument associated with Latin American music premiered in a city” like Boston, Martinez says.

With each new commission and collaboration, the Mexican Repertoire Initiative is redefining what the wind ensemble can be—and who it can represent, says Messier. It is expanding the repertoire, and creating a richer, more inclusive soundscape for audiences around the world.