The Holiday concerts are complete

Many volunteer musicians are about to perform their most important concerts of the season:  the Holiday religious services.  If you attend these, be sure to thank the musicians who make those services special.  most of them are volunteering their time and talents to add to the season.

Whatever Holiday you keep, may it be wonderful.  The Milwaukee Community Music Blog will return in January.  All the best to you and yours!

Trumpet Players needed

The Kettle Moraine Symphony in West Bend is in need of trumpet players.  Interested applicants need to apply by Friday January 12, 2018 for the auditions to be held the following Saturday January 20, 2018.  You can find all of the information here.

Horns A Plenty Christmas in Appleton

Every year the call goes out, to anyone who can play the French Horn at any level, to come to Appleton, Wisconsin for the annual Horns A Plenty Christmas celebration.  This year it will be at the Fox Valley Lutheran High School on Saturday December 16 at 2:30 PM.

The concert will last about an hour.  For those who would like to perform, the rehearsal begins at 12:30.  The music is easy enough that middle school musicians will be able to play it.  But the fun comes in when musicians of all ages play this music.  There is no admission cost to the concert, but a free will offering will be accepted.  All money generated from the concert will be used for scholarships for french horn students.

For more information, see the Horns A Plenty Christmas facebook page.

Two more Holiday Concerts

There are two more concerts coming up but these are not on the same day (that's good).

First, the Menomonee Falls Symphony will present Christmas Delights at the Hamilton Fine Arts Center on the campus of Sussex Hamilton High School on Sunday December 10 beginning at 1 PM.  Joining the MFSO will be children from the Milwaukee Children's Choir, under the direction of Marco Melendez.  You won't want to miss wonderful holiday songs performed by some of the area's most talented children.  For more information or to order tickets, see the MFSO web site.

On Friday December 15, the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band will present their Holiday Concert at the Shattuck Auditorium on the campus of Carroll University.  Besides celebrating the season, the WASB will be collecting non-perishable food for the Food Pantry of Waukesha County.  For more information, please see the WASB web site.

The first Holiday concerts are coming up

Two local groups, the Concord Chamber Orchestra and the Milwaukee Festival Brass will perform their Holiday concerts on Saturday December 2.

The Milwaukee Festival Brass will perform Holidays in Brass at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa, beginning at 7 PM.  The program is a celebration of the release of their first CD, and will feature selections from that disc.  Trombonist Will Akers will be featured n Angels on High,” and principal cornettist Krystal Esty will perform a beautiful arrangement of John Rutter’s Candlelight Carol.  For more information or to order tickets, please see the MFB web site.

On the same evening, the Concord Chamber Orchestra will perform Portraits of Divinity at the Basilica of St. Jopsephat on the corner of 6th Street and Lincoln Avenue in Milwaukee beginning at 7 PM.  Joining the CCO will be the Milwaukee High School of the Arts Choir, under the direction of Raymond Roberts. The program includes:

     Giovanna d’Arco (Joan of Arc) Overture - Giuseppe Verdi
     “Entrance of the Queen of Sheba” from Solomon- George Frederick Handel
     “Ballet Suite” from Hérodiade - Jules Massenet
     “Bacchanale” from Samson & Delilah - Camille Saint-Saëns
     Gloria - Antonio Vivaldi
     A Christmas Festival - Leroy Anderson

There is no better venue for a concert like this than the Basilica.  For more information or to order tickets, see the CCO web site.

Happy Thanksgiving

The fall concerts have been performed.  The Holiday concerts are round the corner.  Time to take a breath, slow down, even for just a bit, and be thankful for all we have.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Kettle Moraine Symphony concert

The Kettle Moraine Symphony will present a program of music saluting veterans entitled  Dawn’s Early Light: A Salute to Veterans. The program begins at 3 PM in the Silver Lining Arts Center in West Bend.  A pre-concert presentation begins at 2PM.

The orchestra will be joined by the West Bend High School Vivace! and Concert choirs, the Moraine Chorus, and the VFW Post 1393 Color Guard.  The program includes John Williams’ Hymn to the Fallen, marches by John Philip Sousa, Morton Gould’s American Salute,  and Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2, Romantic.

Veterans are invited to attend the concert at no cost. Community members can buy tickets for $18, seniors for $15 and students with valid ID for $5. Tickets are available online at kmsymphony.org and at Horicon Bank in West Bend, West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce, and White House of Music in West Bend and Germantown.

Those who want to learn more about the music they will be hearing are invited to a free pre-concert talk with Professor Peter Gibeau at 2 p.m.  For more information, see the Kettle Moraine Symphony web site.

There is no better way to salute our veterans than with wonderful music!

Greenfield Concert Band

The Greenfield Concert Band will perform their first concert of the season on Friday November 17th at 7 PM in the Performing Arts Center at Greenfield High School.  Unfortunately, I do not have information about the concert at this time.  The group has been in existence for only a few years, but will perform this May at The Amp in Konkel Park, the City of Greenfield's new amphitheater.

But November is a bit chilly for an outdoor concert.  And the Greenfield HS PAC is a very nice venue to hear a concert.  So, mark November 17th on your calendar!

Update from the Kettle Moraine Symphony

I received a nice note from the folks at the Kettle Moraine Symphony.  They have a number of upcoming concerts of great interest:

• Sunday November 9 at 3 PM the KMS presents a Salute to Veterans at the Silver Lining Arts Center at the West Bend High Schools.  The program includes a pre-concert talk beginning at 2 PM.
• Sunday March 4 at 3 PM, the KSM features music of American Composers in a program entitled A New American Frontier.  That performance is also at the Silver Lining Arts Center at the West Bend High Schools.
• Sunday May 6 at 3 PM the KSM perform Hayden's Creation with the Moraine Chorus at a venue that is perfect for sacred music:  The Basilica at Holy Hill.

And at 10 AM on Saturday morning November 4, the KSM performs at the West Bend Community Library for a Family Fun Day.  The program is geared for younger ones (4 to 12) but kids of all ages are welcome.

For more information, see the Kettle Moraine Symphony web site.

Concert Preview - Waukesha Area Symphonic Band

The Waukesha Area Symphonic Band will present it's first concert of the season on Friday November 3.  The program, entitled The Color of Movement, will begin at 7:30 in Shattuck Auditorium on the campus of Carroll University.  This is a benefit concert for the Healing Hearts of Waukesha County.  You can get tickets from Healing Hearts of Waukesha or at the door.

The concert will feature both classic and contemporary composers, including Claude Debussy Jack Stamp, and Robert Buckley.  The evergreen symphonic band favorite Mannin Veen by Hayden Wood and the Suite from Mass by Leonard Bernstein are on the program.  Astor Piazzolla's Street Tango will feature dancers from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio on stage accompanying the band.  Sounds like a fun evening that benefits a great cause!

For more information, please see the WASB web site or the web site for the Healing Hearts of Waukesha County.

Concert Preview - Menomonee Falls Symphony

The first concert of the new season for the Menomonee Falls Symphony focuses on the nine elements that make up music.  Maestro Mike Kamenski will demonstrate the different elements of music through different pieces on the program.  For those who might like to learn what the performers do on stage while they play the pieces, audience members are invited to come up on stage and sit in with different sections of the orchestra.  This is a great way for younger ones to get an idea of how each different parts come together to "make music". 

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for Seniors, and $6 for Students, and can be purchased at the door. For more information, see the MFSO web site.

Concert Preview - Concord Chamber Orchestra

The Concord Chamber Orchestra will perform on Saturday October 21 in their new concert venue, the Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church on 80th Street just north of North Avenue.  The concert theme is Stars and Stripes:  American Icons, and the concert honors different American Icons from composers (Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein) to heroes of history (Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin.

Here are a few selections from the program:

• Rip Van Winkle Overture by George Chadwick
• Lincoln Portrait by Aaron Copland
• Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernstein (Natalie's favorite)
• Benjamin Franklin Suite arranged by Alan Shulman
• Suite from American In Paris by George Gershwin

Tickets are available at the door:  Adults $18, Seniors $12, Students $5.  The concert begins at 7 PM.  For more information, see the orchestra's web site.

This looks like a fun concert to attend.  I hope to see you there.

New Music Director for the Lakeshore Symphonic Band

The web site for the Lakeshore Symphonic Band shows that they have found a new Music Director and Conductor:  Mr. Michael Zens.

Currently a music teacher in the Franklin Public School District, Mr. Zens also conducts the Youth Wind Orchestra of Wisconsin. Prior to his position in Franklin, he was Director of Bands and Orchestra, as well as Music Curriculum Chair, for the Menomonee Falls School District for eight years. Mr. Zens holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

The members of the LSB are looking forward to making music with Mr. Zens, and they hope you join them for their first concert with the new Music Director.  It is Saturday, October 21st at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center, 7:30 P.M.  For more information on the Lakeshore Symphonic Band, see their web site.  

Concert Season Calendar

Here is my list of community music concerts.  A number of groups have not yet posted their concert dates yet.  As I get that information, I will alert everyone and update the calendar.  If you know of some concert dates that I missed, please drop me an email and I will add them.  Thanks.

There are a lot of wonderful concerts coming up this year.  Be sure to take some in!

October

• Sat.   21  7:30  Milwaukee Festival Brass at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Brookfield
• Sat.   21  7:00  Concord Chamber Orchestra at Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church
• Sat.   21  7:30  Menomonee Falls Symphony at the Sussex Hamilton Fine Arts Center
• Sat.   21  7:30  Lakeshore Symphonic Band at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center

November

• Fri.     3  7:30  Waukesha Area Symphonic Band at Carroll University
• Sat.    4 10:00  Kettle Moraine Symphony at the West Bend Community Library 
• Sun.   5  2:00 Milwaukee Concert Band at the Oak Creek Community Center 
• Fri.    17 7:00 Greenfield Concert Band at the Greenfield High School Performing Arts Center
• Sun.  19  3:00 Kettle Moraine Symphony at the West Bend High Schools 

December

• Sat.   2  7:00 Concord Chamber Orchestra at the Basilica of St. Josephat
• Sat.   2  7:00 Milwaukee Festival Brass at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa
• Sun. 10 1:00 Menomonee Falls Symphony at the Sussex Hamilton Fine Arts Center
• Fri.   15  7:30 Waukesha Area Symphonic Band at Carroll University performing Holiday Music
• Sat.  16  TBA  Horns A Plenty Christmas performance in Appleton, WI (more to follow)

January

• Sun.  28  2:00 Concord Chamber Orchestra at the North Shore Congregational Church performing Chamber Music

February

• Sat.  10   6:30 Menomonee Falls Symphony performing a Valentine’s dinner concert at the Silver Spring Country Club
• Fri.   16   7:00  Greenfield Concert Band at the Greenfield High School Performing Arts Center
• Sun.  25  3:00  Milwaukee Festival Brass at Pius XI High School Performing Arts Center

March

• Sun.   4  2:00 Milwaukee Concert Band at Nicolet High School
• Sun.   4  3:00  Kettle Moraine Symphony at the West Bend High Schools 
• Sun.  11  3:00  Milwaukee Festival Brass at Brass on the Border, Milton High School
• Sat.  24  7:00  Concord Chamber Orchestra at Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church

April

• Sat. 14  7:30 Menomonee Falls Symphony at the Sussex Hamilton Fine Arts Center

May

• Fri.     4  7:30  Waukesha Area Symphonic Band at Carroll University
• Sun.   6  2:00  Menomonee Falls Symphony performing the Messiah Sing-Along at Mount Carmel Lutheran Church
• Sun.   6  3:00  Kettle Moraine Symphony at the Basilica at Holy Hill 
• Sun.   6  2:00  Milwaukee Concert Band at the Oak Creek Community Center
• Sat.  12  7:00  Concord Chamber Orchestra at the Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church
• Fri.  18   7:00  Greenfield Concert band at The Amp at Konkel Park
• Sun. 20  3:00  Milwaukee Festival Brass at Pius XI High School Performing Arts Center 

The community music groups in our area

If you have thought about getting back into playing, or you were just interested in the different groups in the area, this post is for you. I've published this information for the last few years, and I still get emails from folks new to the area looking for a group that they can join and play their instrument. It all comes down to a simple fact:  if you live in the Milwaukee area and want to play with a community music group, there are lots of opportunities at all skill levels!

Here's the list that I have. If you have more information about other groups, send me an email and I'll add it to this post.

Sunday: The Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band is under the direction of Karen Lippert. They welcome all players regardless of ability and play traditional concert band music. You can check their web site for more information.

Monday: The Menomonee Falls Symphony, under the direction of Mike Kamenski, rehearses on Monday evenings in Sussex at Hamilton High School. An audition is required.   You can get more information on the concerts, and on joining the orchestra, from their web site.

Tuesday: The Wauwatosa Community Band, under the direction of Donna Kummer, rehearses at Longfellow Middle School. Tosa Band performs as a symphonic band and also as Tosa Jazz, so folks who like both genres of music may find a good fit with this group. See their web site for more information.

Tuesday: For the folks in the western suburbs, the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band also rehearses on Tuesday. The group's Conductor Laureate, Rick Kirby, has also composed music for some of the concerts. Their web site also has more information.

Tuesday: The Milwaukee Festival Brass, the only British style Brass Band in the area, rehearses on Tuesday as well. This group is unique in that they have an apprentice program for high school students. All the details are on their site.

Wednesday:  The Concord Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Jamin Hoffman, rehearses at Nicolet High School and requires an audition.  See their web site for information.

Wednesday: The Milwaukee American Legion Band is a traditional, patriotic-style community band. They are directed by Mike Van Pelt. Their site has information on their history, which is extensive, and on becoming a member.

Wednesday: The Lakeshore Symphonic Band serves the north shore and Ozaukee County communities, performing their concerts at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center. Click here for their information.

Thursday: The Milwaukee Concert Band is another group with a long history, having been sponsored at one time by the Civic Music Association. See their web site for more information.

Thursday:  The Greenfield Concert Band is relatively new, having been in existence for only a few years.  They rehearse at Greenfield High School and do require an audition in order to place new members into the sections.  See their web site for information.

Thursday: The Greendale Village Band welcomes members of all playing abilities. They are a part of the School System in the Village of Greendale, and you can get more information from their web page.

And if I missed information on your group, send me an email and I'll be sure to post it.  Thanks.

Not much of the summer left

The Milwaukee Community Music Blog will take a short recess until after Labor Day.  The new season is being planned now.  And the calendar of community music group concerts will be published in September.

See you then!

The Summer Season is almost gone

Just a couple of concerts are left in the summer season.

The Concord Chamber Orchestra performs on August 6 in the Franklin Lions Park at 2 PM, and again in Glendale on Wednesday August 9 at the Community park on Bender Road at 7 PM.  Their concert this summer is a lot of fun.  You will enjoy it.

The Racine Concert Band finishes its summer season at the Racine Zoo on August 6 and 13, both concerts beginning at 7 PM.  RCB welcomes Ami Bouterse on the 6th and Mellisa Cardamone on the 13th.  And don't forget the Summer Sweepstakes Spectacular drawings on the 13th for all the great prizes.  Drawings will be held after each selection in the program.  The Grand Prize this year is a Fitbit.  You don't want to miss it.

Racine Concert Band

The last of the summer concerts are coming up.  In Racine, the Racine Concert Band finishes its summer season the first two weeks of August.  On Sunday August 6, the band welcomes soprano Ami Bouterse, who will perform both classical and popular selections.  Clarinetist Tim Bell will salute the great Artie Shaw.

On Sunday August 13, soprano Melissa Cardamone operatic favorites as well as music by Gershwin.  Nick Stainbrook will supply the fireworks on the xylophone, literally!

And the big giveaway happens on the 13th, when all the prizes are given away in the Summer Sweepstakes Spectacular.  But in order to participate, you need to enter the Racine Concert Band Quiz, held at each concert.  The more entries into the quiz, the better your chances of winning a prize in the sweepstakes.  So, best to attend as many of the Racine concerts as you can.

Just a reminder, the best entrance to the Zoo for the concerts is on Augusta Street.

See you there.

Reminder

The Concord Chamber Orchestra performs at the Boerner Botanical Gardens Thursday July 27 beginning at 6:30.  Bring a lawn chair or a blanket for a relaxing evening of great music.  The Concerts in the Gardens will also have food and beverages there in the event you are coming directly from your work.

And did I mention that the concert and parking are free?

A new web site for the Racine Concert Band

The Racine Concert Band has begun their summer series of concerts at the Kiwanis amphitheater on the grounds of the Racine Zoo.  The Band performs every Sunday evening in July beginning at 7 PM. For the first two Sundays in August, the concerts begin at 6:30.  Participate in the Quiz Question at each concert.  The winner of the Quiz Question wins an American Flag from Ace Heating and Cooling on Main Street.  And everyone who enters the Quiz will be entered in the big Summer Sweepstakes Spectacular at the last concert (August 13) where prizes will be given out after each musical selection.

For more information, see their new web site.

The concerts are always fun and are a relaxing way to end the weekend.  Be sure to take one in...or maybe every one!

News from the Concord Chamber Orchestra

The summer season for the CCO has been extended.  They will perform at the Boerner Botanical Gardens on Thursday July 27 at 6:30 PM.  It's good to see them back at that venue.  Hopefully the rain will stay away for that night.

Also, there is a time change for the CCO concert in Glendale, as a part of Music in the Glen.  The concert will begin at 7 PM, rather than the previously published 6:30.

Finally, the first summer performance of the Concord Chamber Orchestra is Wednesday July 12 at the New Berlin Library Park.  The concert begins at 6:30.

Hopefully one of the four concert locations is near you.  The CCO show will be a good one that you don't want to miss.

Happy Independence Day!

Enjoy all of the festivities and patriotic music performed for you by the volunteer members of many of our community bands and orchestras, as we celebrate our Independence.  And if you come across some of these musicians before or after their performance, be sure to thank them for their performance.  I know they will appreciate it.

Summer season for the Racine Concert Band

The Racine Concert Band begins another season of summer concerts at the Racine Zoo on Sunday July 9 at 7:30 PM.  The Band will perform for 7 Sunday evenings.  The July performances will begin at 7:30 while the August performances will begin at 7 PM, as the sun begins setting earlier.

The concerts are free.  The easiest entrance to the Zoo for the Sunday concerts is on Augusta Street near the pathway to Lake Michigan.

You can also enjoy the Racine Concert Band in performance in the July 4th parade in Racine.  The route goes up Main Street from 14th Street up to the Racine Zoo on the morning of the Fourth.  See the Fourth Fest web site for all the details.

Update from the Concord Chamber Orchestra

The Concord Chamber Orchestra will perform a number of free Pops concerts this summer.  Here's the list.  Find a concert close to you and go to it!

• New Berlin Library Park, Wednesday July 12 beginning at 6:30
• Boehner Botanical Gardens, Thursday July 27 beginning at 6:30
• Franklin Lions Park, Sunday August 6 beginning at 2:00
• Glendale New Band Shell, Wednesday August 9 beginning at 6:30

Also, the CCO has announced that three of their 2017-18 concerts will be held at the Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church, on 80th Street just north of North Avenue. 

News from Chill On The Hill

A Milwaukee tradition will continue this year.  The Milwaukee American Legion Band will perform at Humboldt Park again this year.  The Legion Band has been performing in Milwaukee parks since before I was born.  And they will perform this summer on Tuesday June 27, the Tuesday before July 4th.  The program will feature some light classics, music from the movies and Broadway, and patriotic marches.

Bring a picnic dinner or purchase from the different vendors and food trucks.  Maybe a stop at the Humboldt Park Beer Garden before the concert is in order.  But be sure to take in a Milwaukee tradition.

And the week before that, on June 20th, the folks at Chill On The Hill welcome the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for a wonderful concert.  Be sure to get there early.  The hill will fill up quickly!

Update for the Shorewood Concert Band

The band performs this Saturday at the Shorewood Men's Club Chicken BBQ at Atwater Park.  But they perform at Noon.  So be sure to stop by a bit earlier to enjoy the concert and some great chicken.

The first event of the summer

The first event of the season is set for Saturday June 10 in Shorewood at Atwater park.  The Shorewood Men's Club will again host their Chicken BBQ, supplied by Rupena's.  One of the groups supplying the free live music will be the Shorewood Concert Band.  The band will perform at 12:30.

Be sure to stop by and enjoy the concert.  And take home some of that wonderful BBQ chicken or ribs.  The money raised will support a number of different civic groups in Shorewood including the Shorewood Concert Band.

For more information, see the Shorewood Men's Club web page.

Memorial Day

The Memorial Day Holiday is upon us.  You may attend an observance of the Holiday in which members of the community perform.  Be sure to give them your appreciations.  And be sure to remember those who gave their lives that we might live in freedom.

Annual observance of Memorial Day

Memorial Day will be observed on Monday May 29th.  The Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band traditionally performs a patriotic concert at the War memorial downtown at the lake.  This year is no exception.  The concert begins at 4 PM.

The concert, and the day itself, salutes those who gave the ultimate sacrifice that we may continue to be free.  May we never forget them!

For more information, please see the MMCCB web site.

Lakeshore Symphonic Band

The Lakeshore Symphonic Band performs on Sunday May 21 at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center beginning at 4 PM. 

The concert will feature the winner of their Young Artist Competition, Greta Schwartz, performing the third movement of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto.  Also on the program is wind music by Gordon Jacob, Samuel Hazo and David Maslanka.  On the lighter side is music by Richard Rogers and John Williams.  A nice variety for a wonderful Sunday afternoon!

For more information, see the LSB web site.

Reminder

The Concord Chamber Orchestra completes its season on Saturday May 13th at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa.  The concert begins at 7 PM.

This season's theme has been Play Me a Story.  The final concert of the season is entitled The Power of Love.  Besides music by Leonard Bernstein and John Williams, the CCO welcomes back the founder John Parfey, to conduct a piece.

For more information or to purchase tickets, see the CCO web site.

Waukesha Area Symphonic Band

The Waukesha Area Symphonic Band performs their final concert of the season on Friday evening May 12.  The concert is in Shattuck Auditorium on the campus of Carroll University and begins at 7:30.

The concert features the music of modern composers, Peter Mennin, John Barnes Chance, and Philip Sparke.  In addition, the band will perform a world premiere of a piece by music director Rick Kirby.  Finally, the winner of the WASB Concerto Competition for 2017 will perform.

The concert will support the Adaptive Community Approach Program (ACAP).  See their web site for all the important work they do in the Waukesha area.

For more information, see the WASB web site.

Milwaukee Festival Brass

You don't want to miss Impressions of New Zealand, presented by the Milwaukee Festival Brass on Saturday April 29.  The concert will be held at a new venue:  the Chapel at Concordia University in Mequon.

For more information or directions, see the MFB web site.

Just a reminder

As we get closer to the end of the concert season, there are fewer new concerts to mention.  So this week I will remind everyone of the upcoming concert by the Menomonee Falls Symphony on Saturday April 22 in the Sussex Hamilton Fine Arts Center. 

Dramatic Scores of the Masters will begin at 7:30.  Tickets can be purchased from the MFSO web site or at the door.  See you there.

Add this to your calendar

The final concert of the Concord Chamber Orchestra for the season will be on Saturday May 13 at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa.  This concert is special in that the CCO founder, Maestro John Parfey, will be in attendance to guest conduct a piece.  The concert will begin at 7 PM.

Here's the program as it stands today:

• Leonore Overture No. 3 • Beethoven
• Three Pieces from Schindler's List • Williams
• “Walk to Paradise Garden” from A Village Romeo and Juliet • Delius
• Romeo & Juliet Fantasy • Tchaikovsky
• West Side Story Selections • Bernstein

In addition to the concert, the CCO will have a silent auction during the intermission, and a free reception after the concert. 

The CCO concerts are always enjoyable and well worth the time and cost.  See you there.

Concert Preview: Milwaukee Festival Brass

The Milwaukee Festival Brass will perform music of "the other down under" when they present Impressions of New Zealand.  The concert is on Saturday afternoon April 29 at 3:30 PM in the chapel at Concordia University of Wisconsin in Mequon.  The program will evoke the many varied landscapes and cultural traditions of this distant island nation.

The concert will open with Gareth Wood’s majestic Hinemoa: a celebration of the Maori origins of New Zealand.  Several of the band’s members will be featured as soloists.  Soprano cornetist David Magoon and flugelhorn Andy Brinza will perform selections based on folk songs from New Zealand. The landscapes of New Zealand inspired Peter Jackson to film his Lord of the Rings trilogy there, and the band will present a selection of music from the film score.

The concert also provides an opportunity to salute the achievements of bass trombonist Kelly Eshbaugh, who is completing her masters degree in trombone performance at UW-Milwaukee.  The band will feature Kelly in a complete performance of Chris Brubeck Concerto for Bass Trombone and Orchestra, adapted for the brass band.

Tickets are available at the Concordia University box office.  And the MFB web site has more information.

Concert Preview: Menomonee Falls Symphony

The Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra will perform Dramatic Scores of the Masters on Saturday April 22 at the Hamilton Fine Arts Center in Sussex.  The concert begins at 7 PM.

Featured on the program are the first and second place winners of the orchestra's Young Artist Competition.  Violinist Manual Lindin and violinist Alexander Zhu will both demonstrate their winning techniques. 

The program includes the Coriolanus Overture of Beethoven, Barber's Adagio for Strings, and dramatic music from Aaron Copeland.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please see the MFSO web site.

WASB to welcome a special guest and a reminder for the CCO concert

The Waukesha Area Symphonic Band will perform a special concert with the Madison Brass Band on Sunday March 26 at 3 PM in Shattuck Auditorium on the campus of Carroll University.  And if that is not wonderful news, here is more:  the concert is free!

Check out the WASB web site or the Madison Brass Band web site for more information.

You don't want to miss this one.

And don't forget the concert by the Concord Chamber Orchestra the evening before, Saturday the 25th, at St. Matthew's in Wauwatosa.  The concert features the concerto competition winner, Emily Tisdel, violin, performing the Tchaikovsky violin concerto.  The concert begins at 7.  See you there.

Congratulations are due

Congratulations to the Milwaukee Festival Brass on winning their section at the North American Brass and Association Championships.

The group competed with 5 other brass bands in their section and came out on top for the second year in a row.  Let's all give a Woo Hoo!  If you are interested in the results of all of the section competitions, check out the NABBA web page.

Tosa Band to perform their mid-winter concert

The Wauwatosa Community Band will perform their mid-winter concert on Tuesday March 14 at the auditorium in Longfellow Middle School.  The school is at the corner of 76th Street and North Avenue.  The concert will begin at 7 PM.

The concert will include the William Tell Overture, the Symphonic Suite from Star Trek, and a performance of Casey At The Bat.  These concerts are always fun and are a great way to introduce younger ones to classical music.  Be sure to take your budding young musician to this concert.

Concert Preview - Concord Chamber Orchestra

The Concord Chamber Orchestra will continue their season theme Play Me A Story on Saturday March 25 when they open Pandora's Box.  The concert will be at St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church and begins at 7 PM.

The concert will feature violinist Emmy Tisdel, winner of the 2017 Walter A. and Dorothy J. Oestreich Concerto Competition.  She will perform Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto.  Also on the program is Mozart's Prelude to Apollo and Hyacinth.

The concert will feature musical stories that will include the Paul Bunyan Suite of William Bergsma, and the Golden Spinning Wheel of Antonin Dvorak.

You can get more information and order tickets from the CCO web site.

See you there!

Sorry for the delay

Sometimes the day job and other things get in the way of posting the news about community music.  The good news is that all of the groups are working on their music for spring performances.

In fact, working on spring music is the reason for the next event:  Brass at the Border III on Sunday Feb. 26 at 3PM.  The event will feature four different British-style Brass Bands that are fine tuning their music for the upcoming North American Brass Band Championships, March 10 and 11 in Fort Wayne, IN.

Spend a Sunday afternoon in Milton WI at the High School listening to the performances of each of these bands:

• Madison Brass Band 
• Illinois Brass Band 
• Chicago Brass Band
• and the defending champions Milwaukee Festival Brass 

Tickets for Brass at the Border are $15, or $12 for seniors and students and are available on the MFB website or may be purchased at the door. Group rates are available. For more information, and for directions to the Milton High School Auditorium, please visit the Milwaukee Festival Brass web site.

Upcoming concert: Milwaukee Festival Brass

Join the Milwaukee Festival Brass as they preview some of the music they are preparing for the North American Brass Band Championships (April 1 and 2 in Fort Wayne, IN).  The concert begins at 7 PM in the Pius XI High School Arts Center on 76th Street just north of I-94.

Highlights will include the epic and majestic Act II finale: Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral, from Richard Wagner’s opera, Lohengrin.  In addition, two noteworthy soloists will be featured in the program. The first is the band’s newly-named principal solo cornet, Krystal Esty, who will perform a haunting arrangement of Joy Webb’s Share My Yoke. The second is Kelly Eshbaugh, a master’s degree candidate in trombone performance at UW-Milwaukee. She will present a movement from Chris Brubeck’s witty and beguiling Concerto for Bass Trombone.

The band will conclude its performance with a preview of Fanfares and Love Songs, a recent work by young British composer, Gavin Higgins. This is the piece the band will perform at the 2017 North American Brass Band Association’s annual contest where it will defend its Third Section Championship title.

And if you want even more information, see the MFB web site.  See you there!

Something to help you celebrate Valentine's Day

The Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra will present a special dinner / concert on Saturday February 11 at the Silver Spring Country Club.  Besides a wonderful buffet dinner provided by the staff at the Silver Spring Country Club, the Orchestra will be joined by the vocal quartet Heart to Heart.

The concert will feature music from Tchikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, as well as music from Somewhere in Time.

Dinner begins at 6:30 with the concert beginning after dinner.

For more information, please see the MFSO web site.

Chamber music, anyone?

The Concord Chamber Orchestra presents its annual chamber music concert, Anthology, at the North Shore Congregational Church in Fox Point on Sunday January 29th at 2 PM.

This is always an interesting concert, because Maestro Jamin Hoffman does not program the concert:  the individual members of the orchestra do.  As a result, a wide variety of chamber music is presented, prepared by the musicians themselves.

And a note to the sports fans:  the NFL has no game on that afternoon.  You can attend and enjoy the concert, and still take in the Pro Bowl in the evening.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, see the CCO web site.

Second half of the concert season

Now that the celebrations have come to a close, it is time to look forward to the concerts for 2017. Here is the list of concerts that I have for the second half of this season.  If you know of a concert that is not on the list, drop me a line and I'll be sure to get the word out.

And Happy 2017 to all!

January

• Sun.  29  1:30 Concord Chamber Orchestra at North Shore Congregational Church performing Chamber Music

February

• Sat.  11  6:30 Menomonee Falls Symphony performing a dinner concert at the Silver Spring Country Club
• Sat.  11  7:00  Milwaukee Festival Brass at Pius XI High School Performing Arts Center
• Sun. 26  4:00 Lakeshore Symphonic Band at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center
• Sun. 26  3:00 Milwaukee Festival Brass at Brass On The Border at Milton High School, Milton WI

March

• Sun.  5  2:00 Milwaukee Concert Band at Brown Deer High School
• Sat.  11  7:00 Concord Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
• Fri.  17  7:00 Greenfield Concert Band at Greenfield High School
• Sun. 26  3:00 Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band at Wisconsin Lutheran College
• Sun. 26  3:00 Waukesha Area Symphonic Band in a joint concert with the Madison Brass Band at Carroll University

April

• Sat. 22  7:30 Menomonee Falls Symphony at the Sussex Hamilton Fine Arts Center
• Sat.  29  7:00  Milwaukee Festival Brass at Concordia University

May

• Fri.  12  7:30 Waukesha Area Symphonic Band at Carroll University
• Sat.  13  7:00 Concord Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
• Sun.  14  2:00 Milwaukee Concert Band at Brown Deer High School
• Sun. 21  4:00 Lakeshore Symphonic Band at Cedarburg Performing Arts Center
• Mon. 29 4:00 Wauwatosa Community Band performing a Memorial Day Observance at the Milwaukee War Memorial