WFMT's Carl Grapentine to be awarded Northshore Concert Band Lifetime Achievement Award Sunday
Carl Grapentine, the longtime host of the "Morning Program" on Chicago's classical music station WFMT, has been named the winner of the Northshore Concert Band Lifetime Achievement Award. This highly prestigious award recognizes that Grapentine's career at WFMT has been dedicated to the development and perpetuation of wind music.
The award presentation will be during Northshore Concert Band's June 17 concert "A Long Time Ago … " in Evanston.
Audience members will have the opportunity to meet Carl Grapentine at a post-concert reception, congratulate him on his award, and wish him a happy retirement!
An Oak Park resident since he joined WFMT in 1986, Carl Grapentine has been the host of WFMT's morning program since 1996. He gives pre-concert lectures for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Music of the Baroque, and many other arts organizations. An alumnus of the University of Michigan School of Music, Mr. Grapentine has been the stadium voice of the Michigan Marching Band since 1970. His voice has been heard on national telecasts of 16 Rose Bowls and numerous other bowl games. In 2006, he became the announcer at Michigan Stadium. He has sung the national anthem at Wrigley Field, U.S. Cellular Field, and several other sports venues. A Northshore Concert Band Advisory Board member, Mr. Grapentine will retire from WFMT on July 27, 2018.
Past recipients of this award include Harry Begian, Barbara Buehlman, Larry Combs, Ray Cramer, Frederick L. Hemke, Karel Husa and John P. Paynter.
The Northshore Concert Band has brought music to the Chicago metropolitan area for 62 years. Performing up to 15 concerts a year and reaching over 20,000 people annually, the NCB's season includes a four-concert subscription series, educational outreach programs at area schools, summer concerts, and professional band festivals and conferences. They are deeply rooted in the concept of "community" and in encouraging involvement in music for people at all stages of life. Part of their mission is to foster and promote wind music and the adult band concept and to assist in the music education of young people. Northshore Concert Band's engaging music education programs demonstrate to younger musicians that there are opportunities for them to play and enjoy their instruments their entire lives, regardless of whether they choose a musical vocation.
The Northshore Concert Band will perform "A Long Time Ago … " at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 17, in the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall at Northwestern University, 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston. The reception for Carl Grapentine will follow.
Individual concert tickets are $20 each, $15 for seniors, or $10 for students/children.
Tickets are available in advance or at the box office on the day of the concert.
The box office opens at 2 p.m. on the day of the concert.
For more information visit www.northshoreband.org or call (847) 432-2263.