EDWARDSVILLE – It’s a sure sign of summer’s approach when the Edwardsville Municipal Band and the Edwardsville Symphony concerts get underway, and that’s exactly what’s happening over the Memorial Day Weekend. The Edwardsville Municipal Band, entering its 139th season, and the Edwardsville Symphony will be back in City Park downtown to offer free performances throughout the summer in partnership with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. Both organizations also will be collaborating with area groups to feature dancers, soloists, guest conductors and more.
“These two groups put a spotlight on the vast array of local musical talent we have,” Mayor Art Risavy said. “These are wonderful, free opportunities that I encourage everyone to take advantage of this summer.” The Edwardsville Symphony is up first, presenting one of five monthly concerts in City Park, 101 S. Buchanan Street, on Sunday, May 26. A pre-concert performance by Innovative Movement Dance Company is set for 6:30 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by the symphony concert.
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On Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 27, the Edwardsville Municipal Band will perform a concert to honor America’s veterans at 10 a.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery, 1400 St. Louis Street, which is one of the City’s oldest cemeteries. It is part of a solemn annual program hosted by the Woodlawn Cemetery Association. Following the Memorial Day concert, the Municipal Band will kick off its Thursday night series of free performances on the Cleaon Etzkorn Bandstand in City Park on June 6. The concerts begin at 8 p.m. and will run weekly through August 22, featuring a mix of marches, big band arrangements, show tunes and more.
The Municipal Band will welcome back for a second season conductors John Korak and Ruben Gomez Prada, who are both music department faculty members at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Municipal Band Board Chairman Steve Wehling, who is also a musician, said the two conductors were well-received in their debut season. “It’s been really fun having them with us. We’re getting some nice comments from the public and band members,” he said.
The band’s complete schedule, which also includes an annual Leclaire Park concert, a Fourth of July show at the American Legion, parades and a holiday show, can be found on the City’s website: or the band’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/edwardsvillemunicipalband
The Edwardsville Symphony has devised “The Color of Music” as the season’s theme, with each week’s arrangements mirroring the hue. Sunday’s performance is the “Concert of Orange,” and will include works by Edvard Grieg, Antonio Vivaldi and others, including ABBA. Angelina McLaughlin-Heil, the symphony’s founder and artistic director, said the season’s lineup includes a diverse mix of programming, conductors and soloists, plus a pre-concert by local dance schools and artists. Each pre-concert will begin at 6:30 p.m., with the symphony following at 7 p.m.
Other concert dates are June 30, July 28, August 25 and September 22.
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