About

AUSTIN SYMPHONIC BAND PRESENTS

THESE UNITED STATES

FEB 1 | 4 P.M. | LUIS "CHICO" PORTILLO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Celebrate the spirit of America as the Austin Symphonic Band honors the nation’s 250th birthday with a stirring musical journey across time and geography. From the bold brass fanfare of Jenkins’s American Overture for Band to the poignant tribute of LoPresti’s Elegy for a Young American, this program captures the heartbeat of a nation in motion.

Clare Grundman’s Concord evokes the ideals of early America, while Sousa’s From Maine to Oregon takes us from coast to coast in just two minutes. After intermission, Piunno’s Bright Shadow Fanfare offers a modern reflection on identity and light, leading to Robert Russell Bennett’s sweeping Suite of Old American Dances, a nostalgic nod to the rhythms of yesteryear. The concert closes with the beloved Yellow Rose of Texas, blooming with warmth and pride.

Join us for a musical celebration of heritage, hope, and harmony — an unforgettable tribute to These United States.

TICKETS

Event Details

• Date: Sunday, February 1, 2026
• Time: 4:00 P.M. - 5:30 P.M.
• Venue: Luis "Chico" Portillo Performing Arts Center at Connally High School
• Website: https://austinsymphonicband.org/events/theseunitedstates/2/1/2026

Ticket Information

• Cost: $0.00 - $15.00

Presenter Details

• Name: Austin Symphonic Band

The Austin Symphonic Band (ASB) was founded in 1981 by local brass and woodwind musicians. The band has had only four music directors: Frank Simon, Randol Bass, Richard Floyd and the current Music Director, Kyle Glaser, who has served since 2022. Bill Haehnel was appointed Assistant Music Director in 2003.

Named the Official Band of the City of Austin by the Austin City Council in June 1989, ASB has performed for City events such as the dedication of the Barbara Jordan passenger terminal at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and the Governor’s Welcome Home of the Troops from the Gulf War “Desert Storm” in 1991. ASB also works closely with local schools to provide mentoring, tutoring, performance opportunities, and free tickets to students.

In 1989 ASB was the first community band to perform the Grand Finale Concert at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago; it has returned for two additional appearances. ASB was featured at the American Bandmasters Association Conventions in 1993 and 2006. In addition, ASB was offered an invitational performance at the Western International Band Clinic in 2004. The band received the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Scroll for outstanding achievement as a community band in 1994.

Want to know more about ASB? Click here to view our historical archives!

ASB commissions new music and performs contemporary music, providing support for the national community of composers and arrangers of concert band music. Works commissioned by ASB have included Dancing on Water by Frank Ticheli (2015).

ASB also sponsors the annual Young Composers Contest, which picks a winner each fall based on the merit of previous compositions, and commissions a new work for the next concert season. Winners to date include Dr. Christopher Lowry, whose composition (Delusions of) Grandeur, Op. 51, premiered on April 14, 2024; Ryan Fillinger, whose Sinfonietta premiered on April 13, 2025; and Viskamol Chaiwanichsiri, whose new composition will receive its first performance on April 19, 2026.

ASB has also enjoyed a long history of collaborating with outstanding guest soloists and conductors, including Boston Brass, Rhythm & Brass, Jim Walker (flute), Pat Sheridan (tuba), Tito Carrillo (jazz trumpet) Steve Williamson (Chicago Symphony Principal Clarinetist), Clint Foreman (Boston Symphony Second Flutist), Synaesthesia Saxophone Quartet, and Austin Symphony Conductor Peter Bay.

Venue Details