Award winning composer Kevin Walczyk's describes himself as a "musical storyteller," using all musical elements of structure, melody, harmony, and counterpoint to convey programmatic content. A variety of subjects are conveyed that include historical events, people, physical objects or locations, and literary texts. Deeper matters, such as spiritual themes, are also often incorporated in his music that enhance the musical program. The technical procedures employed—pertaining particularly to the expression of programmatic content—has produced a unique musical language that stands out in the modern compositional landscape. What are these inherent idiomatic features, and how are they exhibited? The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a detailed examination of Walczyk's distinct musical language. A critical analysis of the technical procedures used to convey his programmatic content, as well as insights into his influences and writing process, illuminate the attributes of this a posteriori musical language. The two works selected for this study to demonstrate this are Symphony No. 2: Epitaphs Unwritten and Talking Winds, both written for wind band.

Since the 18th century, composers have utilized the symphony to communicate thoughts and ideas through the vehicle of a large ensemble composed of a variety of instrumental colors. Though the structure of the symphony has understandably been subject to the varied interpretations of composers over the past 300 years, several characteristics of the traditional symphony do seem to have stood the test of time. In this document, the recent developments of the American symphony for wind band is discussed, focusing on the ways in which recent works both adhere to and divert from the traditional understanding of the classical symphonic form and highlighting the resurgence of the form by wind band composers. For the purposes of this study, David Dzubay's Symphony No. 2: Through a Glass Darkly, James Stephenson's Symphony No. 2: Voices, Donald Grantham's Symphony No. 2: After Hafiz, and Kevin Walczyk's Symphony No. 4: Unforsaken are used to demonstrate how each composer writes in their own unique style using contemporary techniques, while still appearing to maintain traditional aspects of the symphonic form, whether consciously or subconsciously. For each of the four works, a structural analysis is conducted using a rubric of standard symphonic norms. Additionally, interviews were conducted with each composer, providing insight on their compositional process, the commissioning process, and their thoughts on the symphonic form for wind band. The responses each composer gave during their interviews is incorporated into the analysis of each work, allowing the composer's own voice to supplement the findings.