Oak Park Musicians Key to Illinois Brass Band Concert

Three Oak Park musicians, Stephen Squires, Larry Pearce and Sharon Pearce, will help the Illinois Brass Band open its 22nd consecutive season with a concert at 1:30 PM Sunday, October 27, at Cutting Hall in Palatine.

Squires is the band's music director and principal conductor. Larry Pearce plays trombone and Sharon Pearce plays bass.

The concert will include solo performances by co-principal cornetists Mark Ponzo and Lev Garbar as well as by principal euphonium player Thomas Runty.

Ponzo, who is professor of trumpet at Northern Illinois University, will perform Herman Belstedt's “Napoli.” Garbar will solo on music from “An American in Paris” and Runty, who also serves as IBB's assistant conductor, will play “Gabriel's Oboe” from the film “The Mission.”

Other works on the program will include “Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare”, “Jupiter” from “The Planets,” “Valdres March,” “Irish Tune from County Derry,” “Ritual Fire Dance,” “Promenade” from “Pictures at an Exhibition,” “First Suite in Eb,” “Final Hymn” from “Firebird,” and “Entry of the Gladiators.”

The Illinois Brass Band, which was founded in 1991, is a six time national champion of the North American Brass Band Association. It will release a new CD of brass band favorites later this year and, on November 2, will compete with bands from five states at the U.S. Open Brass Band Championships in St. Charles.

“We're really looking forward competing once again in the U.S. Open,” said IBB President William Kaempfe. “The format encourages bands to come up with entertaining storylines and visuals to bring something extra to their music. It's a real crowd pleaser.”

Tickets for the season opening concert at Cutting Hall are $12 for adults and $6 for children 18 and under.