The Acadia Wind Ensemble is a band consisting of music educators from all across Maine. The group meets once a year to perform advanced repertoire for the band medium. The Acadia Wind Ensemble was created by Manager, Jennifer Fortin and Director, Andrew Forster. This year, we are pleased and excited to bring Maestro Trae Blanco from Butler University as our conductor with the Acadia Wind Ensemble. This year’s concert will be on August 1, 2025 at Edward Little High School, 77 Harris Street, Auburn, ME at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free.
About Us
Andrew J. Forster, Director
Mr. Forster retired in 2024 as a music educator in the Messalonskee School District (Maine) since 1990. He received his B.M. in Music Education from the University of New Hampshire and his M.M. in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Massachusetts. Mr. Forster taught band, jazz band, chamber ensembles, and music production. He is the music director of the Mid Maine Youth Orchestra (MMYO), the co-founder of the Acadia Wind Ensemble, and principal trumpet in the Downeast Brass Quintet. He was named the 2012 Maine Music Educators Association Music Teacher of the Year, the 2016 Teacher of the Year for Kennebec County and the 2025 NFHS Music Educator of the Year for Section 1 (New England plus NY and NJ. He currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Maine Music Educators Association.
Trae Blanco, Conductor
D.M.A - Arizona State University, Wind Conducting
M.M. - Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Wind Conducting
B.M.E. - New Mexico State University, Music Education
Trae Blanco currently serves as Director of University Bands in the School of Music at Butler University. His teaching responsibilities include conducting BUWE (Wind Ensemble), teaching undergraduate conducting, and directing the masters program in wind conducting. Previously, Dr. Blanco served as the Director of Bands at Murray State University, the University of Southern Maine, conductor of the Portland Youth Wind Ensemble, Casco Bay Wind Symphony, and cover conductor for the Portland (ME) Symphony.
A native New Mexican, Dr. Blanco received his undergraduate degree in music education from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM, and a Master of Music in conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he studied with Professor Stephen Pratt. Dr. Blanco also served as Director of Bands at Las Cruces High School, where both the jazz ensemble and wind ensemble were selected as Honor Bands for the New Mexico All-State Convention in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
As a clinician, Dr. Blanco has worked with bands and orchestras in Maine, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Kentucky, and presented at conferences for the Maine Music Educators Association and the West Virginia Music Educators Association. Dr. Blanco serves as the conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra for the annual Quad State String Day at Murray State, and will conduct the Paducah Symphony Summer Music Camp Orchestra in 2019. In summer of 2019, Dr. Blanco served as an invited presenter to the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in Bunol, Spain as well as a conductor for the Blue Lake Fine Arts. Upcoming engagements include a presentation at the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in South Korea in 2024, as well as returning to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp as conductor of the Festival Band for Session 1, and conductor for the Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival Compeitition.
A strong proponent for new music, Dr. Blanco has commissioned new music for winds from Jim (James) Bonney, Steven Bryant, Aaron Perrine, Onsby Rose, Steve Danyew, James Syler, Jim Stephenson, Brett Kroening, David Dzubay, Juan Pablo Contreras, and others. Dr. Blanco’s research on BCM International has appeared in the National Band Association Journal and the WASBE Journal.
Dr. Blanco was the recipient of the New Mexico Music Educators New and Emerging Teacher Award for 2010. He is currently a member of the Indiana Music Educators Association, College Band Directors Association, WASBE, and NBA. He has continued conducting studies with workshops across the country and in July 2015, Dr. Blanco was a guest conductor with the United States Army "Pershing's Own" Concert Band in Washington, D.C. In both 2015 and 2016 Dr. Blanco was a finalist in the American Prize in Wind Conducting. Currently, Dr. Blanco resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife, Kelsey Blanco, lyric soprano, and their daughter Ophelia, and son Ellis.
Jen Fortin, Manager
Jen Fortin holds degrees in both music education and music performance from UMass Amherst. She began her teaching career at Edward Little High School, and now teaches music at Skowhegan Area High School. Jen has played saxophone with numerous jazz ensembles and bands around the state of Maine.
