[shareprints gallery_id=”42472″ gallery_type=”squares” gallery_position=”pos_center” gallery_width=”width_100″ image_size=”medium” image_padding=”2″ theme=”dark” image_hover=”false” lightbox_type=”slide” comments=”true” sharing=”true”]When the Naperville Municipal Band was invited last summer to perform this July 23-27 at the 2015 Texas Bandmasters Association’s Annual Convention in San Antonio, Conductor Ron Keller already had plenty of reasons to toot his own horn.
For starters, Keller began playing the tuba when he was in second grade. Since 1953, he’s been a member of the Naperville Municipal Band, a band with a history that dates back to 1859.
In 1965, at the age of 27, Keller was named conductor of the Naperville Municipal Band. Shortly into his leadership, he created a year-round band, offering a concert series not only outdoors in the summer in Central Park, but also at indoor venues in the fall, winter and spring.
Always inspired by the marches of John Phillip Sousa, Keller often pays tribute to the legendary bandmaster. And the Naperville Municipal Band has received the prestigious Sudler Silver Scroll Award presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation.
This year, during his 50th year of conducting the Naperville Municipal Band, Keller’s milestone also will be celebrated and shared with 85 musicians when they travel to San Antonio in July.
Look for the Naperville Municipal Band to step in time to patriotic music during the Memorial Day Parade beginning at 10:30AM on Mon., May 25, and during the annual Memorial Day Observance in Central Park that begins at 12:15PM.
Band members will celebrate Keller’s “Golden Jubilee” during the June 25 performance in the summer concert series that runs at 7:30PM every Thursday from June 4 to Aug. 20 in Central Park.
Summer Concert Series in Central Park
Concerts begin at 7:30PM. Find refreshments in the Gazebo, served to benefit different nonprofits.
June 4 – “Climb on the Bandwagon” / Presentation of Scholarship Recipients
June 11 – “Around the World in 80 Minutes”
June 18 – “Opera For People Who Don’t Like Opera”
June 25 – “Golden Jubilee” – Honor Ron Keller’s 50th
July 2 – “Salute to America” with 1812 Overture (Annual Independence Day Concert)
July 9 – NMB Jazz Band
July 16 – “On to San Antonio”
July 23 – DuPage Symphony Orchestra
July 30 – “Back in Central Park”
August 6 – “Food, Glorious Food!”
August 13 – “School Daze”
August 20 – NMB Jazz Band Joint Concert
For more information about the Naperville Municipal Band, visit their new website at www.napervilleband.org/.
