Illinois Wind Symphony invited to perform at American Bandmasters Association Annual Convention

Join us for this very special performance!

The University of Illinois Bands have had an extremely deep connection with the prestigious American Bandmasters Association, dating back to the organization’s founding. Our first Director of Bands, A. A. Harding was a founding member and the first treasurer, then later president of the association. Former Illinois Bands faculty Mark Hindsley, Harry Begian, James Keene, Linda Moorhouse, and Gary Smith have all served as presidents.

The Illinois Wind Symphony has again been invited to perform for the annual gathering of the leaders of the profession. We hope you will join us and attend our concert on March 4, 2026 in the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. The performance, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. with the Lockport Township High School Wind Symphony, conducted by Brian Covey and guest conductors, followed by the Wind Symphony.

Our program will include:

Oscar Navarro – Downey Overture
– John R. Locke (Director of Bands Emeritus, UNC Greensboro), conductor
Carlos Simon – Sweet Chariot
– Elizabeth Peterson (Assoc. Director of Bands Emeritus, University of Illinois), conductor
Joel Puckett – That Secret Fanfare (world premiere)
– Caroline Beatty (Director of Bands, Texas State University), conductor
John Philip Sousa – Sesquicentennial Exposition March
– Barry L. Houser, conductor
Zhou Tian – Petals of Fire
– Jerry Junkin (Director of Bands, University of Texas), conductor
Percy Grainger – “The Gum-sucker’s” March
– Stephen Peterson (Director of Bands Emeritus, University of Illinois), conductor
Sergei Rachmaninoff – Symphonic Dances, mvt. 3
– conducted by Kevin M. Geraldi

The Illinois Wind Symphony’s performance at the ABA Convention is funded by the Illinois Bands Loyalty Fund. If you would like to make a contribution in support of this exceptional experience for our students, please visit our Giving page and select “Illinois Bands Loyalty Fund” as the designation.

More information can be found on the University of Illinois Bands website. Program information can be found here.