ALL ABOUT WILD PRAIRIE WINDS

The Wild Prairie Winds were founded in 2017 by members Daniela Volkovinsky and Katey J. Halbert while attending the University of Iowa. The quintet has toured the midwest performing in small communities in Iowa such as New Hampton, Marion, Red Oak, and Milford. In an effort to be as accessible as possible to their audiences they have performed widely in libraries, city centers, public parks, schools, nursing homes, and local community theaters. 

​In addition to their unique performance spaces, their educational initiatives have been equally as innovative. In the spring of 2021 they opened applications for their first High School Honor Quintet, which was a free, five-week experience for high school musicians located within two hours of Des Moines, Iowa. They also created online educational content in the fall of 2020 which was shared with school directors across the state of Iowa. 

As a professional ensemble, the Wild Prairie Winds has been recognized as an international competition winner when they were awarded 1st Prize in the Professional Division of the Gates of Hope International Chamber Competition of July 2020. That same year they presented a guest artist recital while in residency at Western Illinois University in February and became a nonprofit organization.