Members of the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings will visit the Georgia Institute of Technology from 4 - 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, as part of the group's educational tour of the Atlanta area.

While at the Institute, the chamber winds will perform master classes for students in the Music Department, a unit within Georgia Tech's College of Architecture. They also will discuss important aspects of ensemble performance.

All classes will take place in the Couch Building, 840 McMillan St. NW.

"The Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings are world-renowned musicians with numerous accolades to their credit," said Assistant Professor Andrea Strauss, director of bands for Georgia Tech. "This visit will be a fantastic opportunity for our students, because not only will they get to experience their quality of performance, but the students will engage in a hands-on encounter with some of the best musicians touring the country."

The Georgia Tech Symphonic Band is one of seven Atlanta organizations that worked together to bring the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings -- and its conductor, H. Robert Reynolds -- to the city for this residency. During their stay through Oct. 8, the chamber members expect to make contact with as many as 700 musicians, Strauss said.

In addition to their work with Atlanta-area music students, the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings will perform works by Mozart, Kramer and Krommer for the public beginning 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Kennesaw Mountain High School, 1898 Kennesaw Due West Road. Admission is $10 at the door.

Set to open its 21st season, the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings has a simple goal: To perform great repertoire using more players than typically seen in chamber music concerts. Today, the chamber supplements its Detroit subscription season with both recording and touring, and it has established a national reputation for artistic excellence.

Touring activities have included appearances throughout Michigan plus Ohio, New York, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico. To great critical acclaim, the ensemble has released four compact discs, three of which are on the Koch International Classics label.

Educational programs are central to the mission of the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, and today they have a grant to pursue educational activities for the year from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Atlanta residency of the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings is made possible by:

The Georgia Tech Symphonic Band
The Kennesaw State University Wind Ensemble
The Georgia State University Wind Symphony
The Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra
The Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony
The Atlanta Wind Symphony
The Kennesaw Mountain High School Bands
The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra

For more information, contact Assistant Professor Andrea Strauss, Director of Bands for the Georgia Institute of Technology, (404) 894-8974 or andrea.strauss@music.gatech.edu .