ABOUT US

About Us

Formed in 1974 the Salem Concert Band (SCB) was originally called the Salem Wind Ensemble.  In 1976 it reorganized to become a non-profit community adult band and a forum for local musicians to perform quality traditional and contemporary band literature.

The band consists on the average of 55 adults and 3 high school students from the Salem, Oregon area which extends to Portland and Eugene.  Membership requires an audition and annual membership dues.  During the performance season between September and May, rehearsals take place at the Crossler Middle School band room.  Although many of the members are music educators, the band also claims homemakers, physicians, lawyers, truck drivers, bankers, secretaries, and military personnel among its ranks. The band performs four to five concerts in our regular season at the Historic Elsinore Theatre in Salem, Oregon. Additional concerts are also scheduled in the community and surrounding Salem areas.

If you are interested in playing in the Salem Concert Band, contact our Personnel Manager for an interview and schedule for an audition.

Awards and special honors:

The Salem Concert Band won the "Best of Salem" Award from the Salem newspaper, the Statesman Journal in 1996.

In 1983 the Salem Concert Band commissioned internationally known composer Norman Dello Joio to write an origional piece for concert band. Norman Dello Joio conducted the world premiere of this major work at the Historic Elsinore Theatre in 1984.

Other premieres played by the Salem Concert Band includes:

1.  Two compositions by local composer, music educator and former Salem Concert Band director, Martin Behnke of  Willamette University.

2.  An Armed Forces Salute by Salem's own composer and Salem Concert Band director, Keith Weathers.

3.  The Happiness Machine and Christmas Carols With a Difference by Eugene, Oregon  composer Jon Sutton.

4.  The Northwest premiere of The Big Apple by Johan de Meij.

5.  The United States premiere of Gordon Jacob's Concerto for Tympani and Band.

Notable performances include:

1.  Western International Band Conference, Seattle 1985, 1991 and 1999 as the premier adult band in the Northwest.

2.  Salem Art Fair

3.  Oregon Adult Band Conference performances 15 years including three host years.

4.  Historic Elsinore Theater Grand Opening in Salem, Oregon

5.  Oregon Music Educators National Conference

6.  Mary's Peak Trek.

7.  Northwest Regional Music Educators National Conference (MENC), Seattle.

8.  Performances in Oregon: Eugene, Sweet Home, Albany, Dallas, Canby, Newberg, McMinnville, Silverton, Stayton, Independence, Newport, Wilsonville,Beaverton and Portland. Performances in Washington: Seattle

9.  The annual Salem TubaChristmas standing-room-only performances at the Historic Elsinore Theater are co-hosted by the Salem Concert Band and Historic Elsinore Theatre.

Salem Concert Band Logo:  R.L. Mulder created the Salem Concert Band logo, "The Conductor" and is one of a series of musical images that the band uses, courtesy of the artist.