Updated Post / Come celebrate “Music in Our Schools Month” and much more when the Naperville Municipal Band shares the stage with the Waubonsie Valley Wind Ensemble at 3PM. Doors open in advance of the NMB Winter Concert at 2:30PM. The beautifully renovated auditorium at Waubonsie Valley High School has 840 seats. Find plenty of free parking outside the auditorium doors in the school located at 2590 Ogden Avenue at Eola Road in Aurora. Let there be music!
Originally Posted March 6, 2026 / The Naperville Municipal Band is set to take the stage in the newly renovated auditorium at Waubonsie Valley High School at 3PM Sun., March 22. The community is invited to the free Winter Concert when the city band will perform with the Waubonsie Valley Wind Ensemble.
To highlight the event, NMB Director Emily Binder invited WVHS Fine Arts Department Chair Mark Duker to add his thoughts to enhance the theme of the concert, “The Greats.”
“We will be celebrating lifelong musicianship and Music in Our Schools month,” noted Binder. “Lucky for us, we’re also sharing a concert with WVHS, celebrating the incredible career of Mark Duker and honoring Duker’s grandfather with a performance of renowned composition “The Pines of Rome.”
Binder: Please share a brief recap of where you went to school and the roles you have held as a music educator.
Duker: I graduated from the University of Illinois in 1993 with a BS in Music Education and then went to Indiana University from 1997-1999 for a Master of Music in Conducting after teaching at Glenbard East from 1993-1997.
I’ve been in D204 since 1999, opening up Still Middle School in 1999 and Scullen Middle School in 2001. I moved to Neuqua Valley in 2011 when Bill Jastrow retired and then to Waubonsie Valley in 2013 when the Department Chair position opened up.
Binder: Why did you choose to spend the majority of your career serving the Naperville/Aurora community?
Duker: Even leaving U of I, I knew that Indian Prairie was a destination district for the Fine Arts. I couldn’t even get an interview here for my first job. After my Masters degree, I had three options and felt IPSD would provide the most opportunity in terms of quality of life for me and a family I hoped to have at some point. It was also a place where many good friends who I respected highly were teaching and it felt like it would provide the type of relationships I wanted during my career.
Binder: What are some highlights from your time as a music educator?
Duker: Opening two brand new schools (Still & Scullen) brought unique energy and bonding experiences for those teachers. Writing fight songs for both schools was also a special opportunity.
Performances around the world with students while on tour have provided some of my most treasured memories. Performing in the same place as Mozart in the Summer Palace in Vienna, a concert on the Great Wall of China, and most recently a parade through Rome.
Our 2020 performance at the Illinois Music Education Conference was one of the most satisfying performances I’ve conducted with my students.
Being one of 25 Grammy Educator Award semi-finalists in the nation in its first year was an unexpected honor. Also, the Illinois PTA Teacher of the Year in 2024 was a nice recognition.
Binder: Why are the fine arts such an important part of our community?
Duker: The Fine Arts are something that people of all ages can enjoy and connect with. This concert is the perfect example of lifelong learning through music. Naperville is a special place with its support of the arts through our schools and various community groups.
Binder: Tell us about your grandfather and his influence on your path as a musician.
Duker: Guy M. Duker (Grandad) was the Associate Director of Bands at the University of Illinois from 1953-1978 after 15 years of public school teaching. He was most known for his transcriptions of orchestral works for band, including the Pines of Rome, which will be featured in this concert. He was always a great resource and source of encouragement for me as I started my career.
Binder: What is it like to perform and conduct your grandfather’s arrangement of The Pines of Rome?
Duker: I’m very proud that my grandfather wrote this beloved transcription that has thrilled audiences for over half a century. It’s one of the most epic pieces of music ever written, so family connection aside, it’s thrilling to perform or conduct. My personal experiences with this piece include performing the entire work in my first concert with James Keene in the U of I Symphonic Band, conducting the finale (Pines of the Appian Way) at the U of I Superstate festival in my first year of teaching at Glenbard East, and now conducting that same movement with the NMB combined with my students. It’s the ultimate career bookend to conduct it in my first and final years of teaching. My family is especially thankful that my daughter will be in this performance as well, giving a fourth generation of Dukers the chance to share this power of this piece.
Binder: Are there any other thoughts you would like to share with the community?
Duker: WVHS is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Our students are really looking forward to having the opportunity to host the NMB at Waubonsie Valley and share a concert with them. And we’re excited to welcome the community into our beautifully renovated auditorium!
Waubonsie Valley High School is located at 2590 Ogden Avenue at Eola Road in Aurora.
To keep tabs on the Naperville Municipal Band performance schedule, visit www.napervilleband.org.
