Summer Concert Series continues in July
The Westfield Community Concert Band, under the direction of Dr. Thomas Connors, continues its 112th season with its annual Summer Concert Series in Mindowaskin Park, East Broad Street, Westfield. The band will be performing Thursday evening concerts on July 4 and 11. All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free to the public.
Highlighting this season’s summer concerts will be a special Independence Day program taking place on July 4th featuring an appearance by the Westfield Town Crier and vocalist Kerry Stubbs. The concert series will also include performances of selections from popular Broadway musicals, including The Lion King, Fiddler on the Roof, Miss Saigon, South Pacific and Les Miserables. Each of the band’s summer concerts will include popular marches, classical works and many patriotic compositions, including works by Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein.
The band welcomed many new musicians this season, including Doug Maurer on alto saxophone, John Cavaliere on trumpet, Alyssa Aiello on trumpet, Joe Reo on trumpet, Steve Wasco on Euphonium and Natalie Strauss on flute. The band also celebrates the 20th anniversary season for the band’s conductor and music director, Dr. Thomas N. Connors. Dr. Connors has been a member of the music faculty at Kean University since 2000, where he teaches conducting and instrumental methods courses for music education majors, directs the University Wind Ensemble and Chamber Winds and, since 2013, has served as Director of the Music Conservatory at Kean University.
The band rehearses each Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Community Room in the Westfield Municipal Building, 425 East Broad Street. The band’s membership includes musicians from ages 18 to 80, including many active and retired music educators. Under the baton of conductor Dr. Thomas Connors, the band continues to perform a wide variety of concert band literature, including many contemporary compositions. Experienced area musicians who are interested in a position with the band should contact band manager Barry Rosenberg at 908-337-9073 or info@westfieldcommunityband.com.
The band’s Summer Concert Series is sponsored in part by the Westfield Recreation Department, Megan Schaffer, Director, and is made possible by funds from the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Chairs and blankets are recommended. In the event of rain, the concerts will take place in the Westfield Community Room, located in the Westfield Municipal Building.
