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The season opens with tales of heroism, courage, and resilience. Richard Wagner’s Huldigungsmarsch sets the stage with resplendent melodies and rich counterpoint, hallmarks of the composer’s operatic writing. Tower Ascending is a poignant reflection on the construction of One World Trade Center, symbolizing the American spirit as witnessed by composer Wayne Oquin from his Upper West Side home. Omar Thomas’ disco-inspired A Mother of a Revolution! celebrates the bravery of trans women, particularly Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson, a key figure in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. A landmark of the wind band repertoire, Karel Husa’s haunting and powerful Music for Prague 1968 honors the beauty of Prague amidst the devastation of the Soviet invasion of 1968, just one year before Stonewall.

Program to Include

Gala Flagello
Bravado

Wayne Oquin
Tower Ascending

Omar Thomas
A Mother of a Revolution!

Karel Husa
Music for Prague 1968

Tributes & Innovations blends old and new, showcasing works honoring our musical heritage while embracing contemporary creativity. Kathryn Salfelder’s Cathedrals is a fantasy on Giovanni Gabrieli’s “Canzon Primi Toni à 8” and an adventurous foray into neo-Renaissance music, echoing the textures and forms found in 16th century compositions. A newly commissioned work by Jay Kennedy pays tribute to Mallory Thompson’s inspiring musical leadership of the Northshore Concert Band, celebrating her enduring influence and vision. Ron Nelson’s Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H) presents a foreboding tableau of continuous variations based on Johann Sebastian Bach’s trademark musical cryptogram, concluding the first half with an earth-shattering blaze of confidence and glory. Exceptional middle school musicians from the Chicagoland area join us for our 21st annual Lifetime of Music event, featuring music from How to Train Your Dragon, Dwayne Milburn’s Meditation, and the audience-favorite paso doble Amparito Roca.

Program to include

Cathryn Salfelder
Cathedrals

Jay Kennedy
Let Your Light Shine
NCB Commission, World Premiere

Ron Nelson
Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H)

John Powell
How to Train Your Dragon

Dwayne Milburn
Meditation

Embark on a revitalizing spiritual journey in April with Spirited Away. It begins with Claude T. Smith’s Eternal Father, Strong to Save, the official hymn of the United States Navy, featuring colorful interplay and variations on the well-known tune. A musical hosanna to Dr. Eric Wilson, Director of Bands at Baylor University, Paul Dooley’s triptych Canticles showcases the composer’s rhythmic vitality, lyrical melodies, and harmonic colors in a series of playful dances and a rejuvenating prayer for winds. Joe Hisaishi’s vibrant score to Spirited Away, the tale of a girl trapped in the spirit world, is transformed into a dazzling suite for winds. Chamak, a new work by Indian American composer Reena Esmail, finds inspiration in the writing of Kabir and presents three movements based on traditional Hindustani ragas — a framework for improvisation and composition in Indian classical music. Yasuhide Ito’s stirring symphonic poem Gloriosa concludes the program, evoking the fervent prayers and suffering of early Christians in Japan with a fusion of Gregorian chant and Japanese folk music.

pROGRAM TO INCLUDE

Claude T. Smith
Eternal Father, Strong to Save

Paul Dooley
Canticles

Joe Hisaishi
Spirited Away

Reena Esmail
Chamak

Yasuhide Ito
Gloriosa

Soar into summer with Irrational Joy! Steven Bryant’s title work is an exhilarating ode to boundless happiness, filled with whirling woodwinds, brilliant brass episodes, and driving percussion that propels the music forward with infectious energy. Perhaps one of the best-known works for winds, Gustav Holst’s First Suite in E-flat is complemented by Jun Nagao’s The Earth, an exuberant composition that weaves together fragmented themes from some of Holst’s most beloved works including The Planets, St. Paul’s Suite, and his suites for wind band. Journey south of the border with Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2, a musical postcard encapsulating the essence of sophisticated Cuban and Mexican ballroom dance through lively rhythms and soulful melodies. Paul Lavender’s sweeping and invigorating arrangement of “Adventures on Earth” from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial brings our 69th season to a rousing conclusion.

Program to include

Steven Bryant
Irrational Joy

Gustav Holst
First Suite in E-flat

Jun Nagao
The Earth

Arturo Márquez
Danzón No. 2

John Williams
“Adventures on Earth” from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial