The contemporary wind ensemble has expanded and redefined its identity, now offering composers as broad a canvas as that of a virtuoso symphony orchestra. Each work heard on this recording reflects this new image of the wind ensemble, none more so than Stephen Michael Gryc’s Concerto for Winds and Percussion, which demonstrates The Hartt School Wind Ensemble’s brilliant technique and wide range of expression. Susan Botti’s Terra Cruda explores the innate behavior and repercussions of aggression, while Jess Turner’s Rumpelstilzchen depicts different parts of the famous fairy story, from the sorrow of the maiden to the creepy little gnome’s fury after his plot has been foiled.