Ronald Demkee joined The Allentown Band in 1964 as the featured tuba soloist and was elected conductor in 1977. Under his direction, the band has recorded thirty-two volumes of the highly acclaimed “Our Band Heritage” series, which have reached listeners in all fifty states and twenty-three foreign countries. The Allentown Band, America’s oldest civilian concert band has been in existence since 1828 and averages forty performances annually. Under Demkee’s leadership, the band has taken four trips to Europe for concerts in Switzerland, Austria and France. In addition to conducting numerous high school honor bands and orchestras, Mr. Demkee has served as guest conductor for all our nation’s premier military bands as well as the Virginia Grand Military Band. He also served as Assistant Conductor for Leonard B. Smith’s famous Detroit Concert Band where he conducted the band for Mr. Smith’s cornet solos in live performances as well as the highly praised “Gems of the Concert Band” recordings.
Mr. Demkee was Associate Conductor and Pops Conductor for the Allentown Symphony Orchestra from 1983 until 2024, working with ASO Conductors Donald Voorhees, William Smith and Diane Wittry. Rudolf Firkusny, Cecile Licad, Robert McDuffie, Young Uck Kim, and Joyce Castle are just a few of the guest artists for whom he conducted. He was also Principal Tuba in the ASO for 45 years- 1979 to 2024. The Allentown Symphony Association named Demkee ASO Associate Conductor and Pops Conductor Emeritus.
Demkee earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education at West Chester University where he was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 2018. In 1991 Muhlenberg College awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Music.
He conducted the Freedom High School (Bethlehem, Pa) Patriot Band and Orchestra from the time the school opened in 1967 until 1997. During his tenure at FHS, the Patriot Band performed in the King Orange Jamboree, Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Aloha Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, two National Cherry Blossom Parades, and three Tournament of Roses parades. After thirty-two years in the public schools, Demkee continued to teach in the music departments of both Muhlenberg and Moravian Colleges for another eighteen years, culminating with fifty years of teaching from the elementary to collegiate levels.
Mr. Demkee has been awarded: The National Band Association’s “Citation of Excellence,” The John Philip Sousa Foundation’s “Sudler Legion of Honor,” the Allentown “Arts Ovation Award,” the Allentown Arts Council’s “Lifetime Achievement Award,” the National High School Band Directors’ “Hall of Fame,” Phi Beta Mu’s “Outstanding Contributor Award,” and the Association of Concert Band’s “Outstanding Conductor Award.” He has been a member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association since 1986.
He and his wife Joan, who have been married since 1967, have two children, Mark and Elizabeth, both public school teachers, and four grandchildren Aidan, Sarah, Katherine, and Rose.