Allentown Band

Carnegie Hall Preview
2026-03-15 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Christ Lutheran Church, 1245 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA, 18102, United States

Carnegie Hall Music Festival Showcase
2026-03-25 20:00 - 21:00 | Carnegie Hall, 57th St and 7th Ave, New York, NY, 10019, United States
The Allentown Band has the honor of returning to Carnegie Hall for the sixth time to present the Showcase Concert for the 2026 New York Spring Music Festival on Wednesday, March 25th, 2026.

A LIMITED NUMBER of concert tickets at $40 for this concert and round-trip bus fares at $50 are available to friends of the band. Tickets and bus seats will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Please download, print and return this Showcase Concert and Bus Ticket Order Form (WORD) or Showcase Concert and Bus Ticket Order Form (PDF) with your ticket request with payment if interested.
When a bus is at capacity, a waiting list will be created to record orders as received. An additional bus will be chartered only if there is enough demand. You will be notified of your status when your order is processed. If we cannot accommodate your request, your check will be returned.

Please keep a copy of this form for your records. Mail to Deb Heiney, Carnegie Reservations, Allentown Band, 1914 W. Greenleaf St., Allentown, PA 18104. Contact- Email debheiney@aol.com phone- 610.737.6504
DEADLINE: All order forms must be RECEIVED by March 2nd.

Annual Side-by-Side Concert
2026-04-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Miller Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth Street, Allentown, PA, 18101, United States
With our guest conductor, Loras Schissel, and guest soloist Scott Shelsta, trombone.
For more than twenty years, the Allentown Band has reached thousands of students from area school districts in Lehigh and Northampton Counties with its two-pronged Education Outreach programs presented in Allentown’s Miller Symphony Hall at no cost to the students or to the school districts. In the Fall of each year, the band presents Youth Concerts designed especially for students in grades 4 to 8; and in the Spring, up to fifty select musicians in grades 9 to 12, recommended by their band directors, are invited to perform Side by Side with the Allentown Band in a public concert.

On Sunday, April 19th at 4:00 pm, fifty advanced musicians from fourteen area high schools will perform side by side with fifty members of the Allentown Band, conducted by Ronald Demkee in a free concert at Miller Symphony Hall. Mr. Loras Schissel, Senior Musicologist at the Library of Congress and retired conductor of the Virginia Grand Military Band will serve as Guest Conductor for part of the program and Mr. Scott Shelsta, former Principal Trombone with the U.S. Army Band, Pershing’s Own, Washington, D.C. will be the featured Guest Soloist. In celebration of America’s Semiquincentennial – 250th Anniversary Year, the program will feature music exclusively of American composers, including John Williams, Morton Gould, Arthur Pryor, Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rogers, and John Philip Sousa.

Loras Schissel, guest conductor

Scott Shelsta, guest artist

Loras John Schissel has served as conductor of the Blossom Festival Band since 1998. He also regularly conducts the Blossom Festival Orchestra. He is founder and music director of the Arlington-based Virginia Grand Military Band, an ensemble comprised of current and former members of the four U.S. service bands.

Turn of the century Americana trombonist Scott Shelsta has entertained people from all walks of life. As the trombone soloist for “Pershing’s Own” The United States Army Band, Scott has performed for all US Presidents from former President Richard Nixon to President George W. Bush, as well as several Foreign Heads of State and Dignitaries. One highlight of his Military Career was playing for the Interment of the Vietnam Unknown Soldier.
Scott’s forte as a trombone Solo artist features the Turn of the Century style playing. These solos are extremely demanding and seldom heard in public. The artist must obtain a careful balance between strength and flexibility which is the age-old problem of brass players everywhere. Arthur Pryor’s Blue Bells of Scotland and Air Varie are considered trombone technical showpieces. Pryor was a noted soloist for the Sousa Band prior to becoming leader and soloist of his own highly successful concert band.
More on the Miller Symphony Hall calendar of events.

Program
Part 1- Allentown Band
Liberty Fanfare / John Williams
Symphony for Band (West Point) Movement 2 “Marches” / Morton Gould
Ronald Demkee, Conducting
Air Vari / Arthur Pryor, arr. Scott Shelsta
Scott Shelsta, Trombone
American Pageant / Thomas Knox
U.S. Field Artillery March / John Philip Sousa, edited by Loras Schissel
Loras Schissel, Conducting
Intermission
Part 2- Combined with Students
Sesquicentennial Exposition March (1926) / . John Philip Sousa
A Bernstein Tribute / Clare Grundman
Ronald Demkee, Conducting
Star Dust / Hoagy Carmichael, arr. Scott Shelsta
Scott Shelsta, Trombone
Victory at Sea / Richard Rodgers, arr. Robert Russell Bennett
Stars and Stripes Forever / John Philip Sousa
Loras Schissel, Conducting

This concert is a free , non-ticketed event!

Jazz Appreciation Month
2026-04-26 15:00 - 17:00 | Springhouse Middle School, 1200 Springhouse Road, Allentown, PA, 18104, United States
Also featuring the Parkland High School Jazz Ensemble
under the direction of Jason Lerew

Salute to American Jazz / arranged by Sammy Nestico

Dave Brubeck – A Portrait in Time / arranged by Robert W. Smith

Dream a Little Dream of ELLA! / arranged by Ken Moyer
with Jillian Rossi

Legends of Jazz / arranged Stephen Bulla

Big Band Dixie / arranged Robert Lowden
featuring Steve Reisteter, George Pierce, Mike Hahn, Caitlin Heckman, Phil Ionna and Randy Edlemen

Someone to Watch Over Me / by George Gershwin, arranged Warren Barker

Parkland High School Jazz Ensemble – TBA

In the Miller Mood / arranged Warren Barker

Testament of Freedom
2026-05-10 14:30 - 16:00 | Levitt Pavilion at Steel Stacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
In a landmark collaboration for America’s Semiquincentennial, two of the Lehigh Valley’s most storied musical institutions – the Allentown Band, under the direction of Ron Demkee, and the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, under the direction of Conductor Christopher Jackson, join forces for a powerful musical tribute to freedom, heritage, and service.
Featuring Randall Thompson’s stirring The Testament to Freedom, inspired by the words of Thomas Jefferson and other significant American texts, the program also includes selections from Bethlehem’s Moravian musical tradition – curated by the Moravian Music Foundation – which anchor the concert in the Lehigh Valley’s own rich musical legacy. Presented outdoors at the Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks, this program invites audiences to rejoice in the music that gives voice to the American spirit as the Bach Choir closes out its 118th Festival.
Free performance, no tickets required!
Rain Site: ArtsQuest Cafe

This performance is just one event in the 2026 Bethlehem Bach Festival. Learn more: 2026 Bach Festival

Hellertown Heritage Day
2026-05-16 15:30 - 17:00 | Heller-Wagner Grist Mill, 150 West Walnut Street, Hellertown, PA, 18055, United States

250th American Heritage Celebration
2026-05-23 14:00 - 16:00 | Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut Street, Allentown, PA, 18102, United States

Veterans Salute and Flag Day
2026-06-06 13:30 - 15:00 | ArtsQuest Center at Steel Stacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, United States
Annual salute sponsored by Embassy Bank. In Arts Quest Café

Allentown Flag Day
2026-06-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Christ Lutheran Church, 1245 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA, 18102, United States
The 119th annual celebration of American’s star-spangled banner, hosted by the Allentown Flag Day Association.

Annual Sousa Concert
2026-06-28 19:00 - 20:30 | West Park Bandshell, Linden St, Allentown, PA, 18102, United States
A concert programmed in the manner of John Philip Sousa, with operatic overtures, popular music, and unannounced encores, often Sousa’s own marches.

Rain Site: Lehigh Valley Active Life Center, 1633 Elm Street, Allentown, PA

Concert Sundaes in the Park
2026-07-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Souderton Community Park, 459 Wile Avenue, Souderton, PA, 18964, United States
“Concert Sundaes in the Park” 39th consecutive appearance (excluding 2020). Bring lawn chairs. Refreshments available for purchase. FREE.
Part of Souderton’s annual “Concert Sundaes in the Park” series. For more information: http://www.concertsundaes.com/
Rain Site – Souderton Senior High School, 625 Lower Road, Souderton, PA 18964

Celebrate America's 250th
2026-07-11 14:00 - 15:30 | Masonic Village, 77 Free Mason Drive, Elizabethtown, PA, 17022, United States

West Park
2026-08-16 19:00 - 20:30 | West Park Bandshell, Linden St, Allentown, PA, 18102, United States
Rain Site: Lehigh Valley Active Life, 1633 West Elm Street, Allentown

Art in the Park
2026-09-12 13:30 - 15:00 | West Park Bandshell, Linden St, Allentown, PA, 18102, United States
A curated festival of arts and crafts in beautiful West Park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Concerts are presented at the beautiful West Park Band Shell. The Allentown Band performs at 1:30 p.m.

Annual Salute to Bert Meyers
2026-09-12 15:00 - 16:30 | West Park Bandshell, Linden St, Allentown, PA, 18102, United States
Our annual tribute to Dr. Albertus Meyers, conductor of The Allentown Band for fifty years!

Rain Site: Lehigh Valley Active Life, 1633 West Elm Street, Allentown

Youth Concert - Yankee Doodling!
2026-10-15 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-10-16 10:00 - 11:00 | Miller Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth Street, Allentown, PA, 18101, United States
For more than twenty years, The Allentown Band has offered Youth Concerts to thousands of students from the Lehigh Valley at Miller Symphony Hall. This year’s concerts will be held Thursday October 15 and Friday October 16 at 10:00 AM, free of charge to area students. The SAME PROGRAM will be performed at 2:00 PM on Saturday October 17. Youth accompanied by adults are free; adults $5.00. Tickets available the the Miller Symphony Hall Box Office, 610.432.6715 or online at www.millersymphonyhall.com. Please check with the box office or website for availability.

Program from the following:
Yankee Doodling: A Young Person’s Guide to the Concert Band
by Daniel Kallman
Fife and Drums: The White Cockade
1700s, Revolutionary War Era
The Brass Band of the 1800s: Northampton Quickstep
by Thomas Coates
American Salute (Johnny Comes Marching Home0
Setting by Morton Gould
Stars and Stripes Forever
by John Philip Sousa

Family Concert - Yankee Doodling!
2026-10-17 14:00 - 15:00 | Miller Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth Street, Allentown, PA, 18101, United States

Americans We Salute to Veterans / Holiday Concert
2026-11-15 15:00 - 17:00 | Miller Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth Street, Allentown, PA, 18101, United States
Annual Tribute to Veterans and Holiday Concert. Observing Veterans Day and welcoming the coming holiday season.
NOTE: Tickets Available AFTER August 1, 2026

Americans We Tribute to Veterans Holiday Concert, November 15, 2025, Miller Symphony Hall
https://millersymphonyhall.org/event/americans-we-tribute-to-veterans-holiday-concert-2/
