The Boulder Concert Band looks forward to another successful season with Mr. Jon Borodach as our Musical Director and Conductor. We look forward to continued growth under Mr. Borodach’s baton.
Donations are always welcome! If you wish to donate now to the Boulder Concert Band, click this secure link. You will be asked to create a free account so you can track your donations to the Boulder Concert Band.
The Band purchased a beautiful marimba and new percussion storage shelves in loving memory of the late Dee LeMaster, long-time member of the Boulder Concert Band board of directors and flute section. Commemorative plaques have been attached to the marimba and to the storage shelves to remember Dee.
A Nationally Award-Winning Band
For the fifth straight year, the Boulder Concert Band has been named a finalist in the American Prize competition in the Band/Wind Ensemble Performance—Community Division, 2024. The American Prize celebrates American excellence in the arts. We earned first place in 2020, and third in 2021.
This year, we submitted “Homage: Three Tapestries” by David R. Holsinger: “Tapestry One (allegro)”, “Tapestry Two (adagio moderato)”, “Tapestry Three (allegro vivo)” from our April 15, 2023 concert, under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Singleton.
In September, 2020, the Boulder Concert Band was awarded The American Prize in Band Performance Community Division in 2019-2020. We received this honor in recognition of the quality of our recorded performance of John Williams’ Escapades for Alto Saxophone and Concert Band, directed by Maestro Silas Nathaniel Huff, and featuring Tim Hughes on alto saxophone and Jordan Taylor on vibraphone, with Jordan Walters on string bass and Katie Hughes on piano.
The Boulder Concert Band received Third Place in The American Prize in Band Performance Community Division in 2021. We are in great company, with the Acadian Wind Symphony (Acadia, Louisiana) taking first prize, and The Allentown Band (Allentown, Pennsylvania) taking second place.
The Boulder Concert Band was again selected as a 2022-2023 Finalist in the American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts. We submitted “Black Dog,”, featuring guest clarinet soloist Kwami Barnett, from our May 2022 concert, conducted by Dr. Kenneth Singleton. Congratulations to the Boulder Concert Band for this achievement! Although we were not among the top contestants, we wish to commend the following organizations that were selected as national winners for The American Prize in Band/Wind Ensemble Performance—Community Division, 2023:
The illustrious history of the Boulder Concert Band traces back to the ICC Silver Cornet Band of 1870, which performed weekly concerts in the pioneer town of Boulder. In 1897, the larger Boulder Citizen’s Band was formed, said to be the best of its type in Colorado. Several decades later, it was succeeded by the Boulder Municipal Band, which was the first to include women musicians.
Today’s Boulder Concert Band was reorganized in 1976 by Hugh McMillen, former Director of Bands at the University of Colorado. Considered to be one of the foremost adult community bands in the United States, the Boulder Concert Band comprises more than fifty volunteer musicians from the business, professional, and educational communities in the Boulder, Longmont and Denver metro areas.
The Boulder Concert Band endeavors to give back to our community in numerous ways. The band has been featured at annual conventions of both the Colorado Music Education Association (2003) and the American School Band Directors Association (2006), both held in Colorado Springs. On July 4, 2018, the band played two concerts for the 120th birthday celebration of Boulder Chautauqua.
Several of our musicians have formed small ensembles, among those the Flatiron Saxopohone Quartet, Firefly Winds, and the Brassaholics, which perform for private and community events, including opening for our concerts.
Some of our musicians have also gone into the public schools to present clinics, work with individual students, and help the music teacher in any way we can. We hope to expand this outreach program in the future. We also held a Young Conductor Competition, possibly the only one of its kind in the country) university conducting majors from around the state presented an audition; the selected student performed as a guest conductor with the band and received a cash prize.
October to May, audiences enjoy four to six concerts featuring concert band classics and contributions from guest artists. June through August, we offer fare suitable for family gatherings in Boulder’s beautiful city parks, a patriotic concert in Louisville on the 4th of July and a private concert at the Frasier Meadows Retirement Community. During the summer series we invite talented high school students to join the band. During each summer concert, we also invite the children to help conduct a lively march, and every little conductor receives a commemorative “baton.”
The Boulder Concert Band provides our community with outstanding performances of traditional and modern concert literature and enriches the cultural experience of both audience and musicians. The Boulder Concert Band also provides a community organization for adults who wish to continue to play their instruments after completing high school or college.
Jon Borodach has enjoyed a diverse career as a conductor, educator, instrumentalist, and arranger working with student, professional and passionate amateur musicians. Before joining the Boulder Concert Band, Mr. Borodach was a student of Dr. Kenneth Singleton at the University of Northern Colorado, where he is in the dissertation
phase of completing the degree of Doctor of Arts. While at UNC, Mr. Borodach served as the conductor of the Symphonic Band following the retirements of Dr. Singleton and Dr.
Richard Mayne and he has worked closely with the current UNC Director of Bands, Dr. Wesley Broadnax.
“I count these three men among my strongest musical mentors and good friends,” commented Jon.
Additionally, Mr. Borodach was Principal Conductor and Music
Director of the Thornton Community Band from 2011 to 2018, programming engaging and enriching concerts for audiences from Thornton and the North Metro area.
Born and raised in Southern California, Mr. Borodach was the Director of Instrumental Music at Grossmont High School in La Mesa, California, a suburb located in eastern San Diego County where, under his baton, the Grossmont ensembles
consistently earned Superior ratings at regional music festivals and contests. During his tenure at GHS Mr. Borodach led student ensembles on concert tours of Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York and San Francisco. Graduates from the Grossmont High School music program have earned scholarships to study music at the University of North Texas, the University of Nebraska, the University of Arizona, the University of California at Los Angeles and at several California State University campuses.
From 2001-2004 Mr. Borodach served as the Associate Conductor of the San Diego Wind Ensemble, a wind band comprised of freelance professional musicians. Mr. Borodach has served as an
adjudicator and clinician for the Southern California School Band Orchestra Association and as a Master Teacher for prospective music educators from Point Loma Nazarene
University and San Diego State University.
In addition to his work on the concert stage, Mr. Borodach has extensive musical theatre experience as a conductor and pit musician
working with multiple theater companies in the San Diego area. Mr. Borodach holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from San Diego State University.
Mr. Borodach is committed to performing the highest quality works in the wind band repertoire. Furthermore, he has been a champion of new music, performing several
new works by young composers as well having been pivotal in the commissioning of new music by renowned composers, including “Some Give All” by David Holsinger, “Give Us This Day” by David Maslanka, and “Baron La Croix’s Shuffle” by Donald Grantham. Mr. Borodach makes his home in Fort Collins, Colorado with his wife, Kara, and two daughters, Madeleine and Rebecka.
“I greatly enjoy working with adult musicians who gather together simply to play music and to enjoy the shared experience of artistry, camaraderie and friendship,” declared Jon. We look forward to making some great music together!
L to R (back): Tim Hughes, Stephen Bray, Heather Sotiros; (front) Jon Borodach (Director), Bernard Buster, Marilyn Weston Kroner, Sheri A. VandeRiet. Not shown: Stephanie Morse, Barbara Munin, Del Pakiser, Sandra Sartin. Photo by Barry Kroner, 2024
Bernard Buster, President
Marilyn Weston Kroner, Vice President and Email Wrangler
Sheri A. VandeRiet, Secretary and Webmaster
Stephen Bray, Treasurer Board Members At-Large:
Tim Hughes
Stephanie Morse
Barbara Munin
Del Pakiser
Heather Sotiros
Sandy McMillen Sartin, Honorary Board Member for Life
Our concerts would not take place if it were not for the many generous people who volunteer their time.
Many thanks to: ♥ Marilyn Kroner for getting the word out to the community about our upcoming events, and for coordinating our volunteers.
♥ Barbara Christopher, Music Librarian, for managing and organizing all our folders and music so efficiently.
♥ Aaron Jordan and Sheri A. VandeRiet for designing and maintaining our website.
♥ Stephanie Morse for poster designs.
♥ Faith Gowan for our concert-schedule bookmarks.
♥ Heather Sotiros for organizing our summer concert schedule, including the Memorial Weekend Remembrance Concert and the Sweet Cow MooMobile.
♥ Marilyn Kroner for contributing program and website content.
♥ Mary Malley for designing a Stage Plot to help us with setup.
♥ Mike Taylor, Bernard Buster and Stephen Bray for acting as Stage Managers.
♥ Beth Ornstein and Adam Ornstein for faithfully rounding up the chairs after every rehearsal as well as after our concerts.
♥ Sheri A. VandeRiet for season program and concert program design, and for setting up concert tickets.
♥ Peter Gowan for his many years of dedication to the Boulder Concert Band, both in the Tuba section and on the Board.
♥ Lyn Mead, for expanding our knowledge of the history of the Boulder Concert Band.
♥ Andy Schwartz of Soaring Light Images wonderful group photos of the Boulder Concert Band.
♥ Don Puscher for standing in as band photographer for the October, 2023 concert.
♥ Peter Ingram, for taking on the daunting task of ”band van manager.“
♥ Sylvia Taylor and Cheryl Appell, for coordinating Stage Setup.
Acknowledgments:
Michael Quam, Quam Audio, for concert recording.
Mason Design, for our new logo and brand identity redesign. The Publishing House, for printing our beautiful Season Programs.
The Boulder Concert Band is always looking for skilled and interested musicians. Please email us and we will put you in touch with the appropriate section leader to audition. See Auditioning for the Band below.
Membership and Expectations
Members of the Boulder Concert Band are drawn from the community at large. To be a member in good standing one must be at least 18 years of age (unless approved by the conductor and the board). There are three types of membership:
Active - Dues-paying members in good standing, who attend a majority of the rehearsals and performances during a concert season. Active members may hold office, serve on committees and take an active part in all business and social affairs of the Boulder Concert Band. Inactive - Members who, for personal or professional reasons, do not meet at least one of the two criteria for being an active member. Inactive members may not be able to participate in the activities and membership of the Boulder Concert Band. Honorary - Members who are non-dues-paying personnel who are generally recognized as outstanding in their field, or have performed an outstanding service for the Boulder Concert Band. It is not necessary for an honorary member to possess any qualifications as a musician.
Auditioning for the Band
Anyone who is eligible for membership can join the band following an audition. If you would like to audition for the band, email us and let us know! Prospective new members are encouraged to attend an orientation session, if available, before our first rehearsal in the fall. This is an opportunity to meet the conductor and to learn about the audition process. A brief audition with the section principal and the conductor will be held at a subsequent rehearsal. Has it been a while since you have played? Consider starting out during our summer session which has a more relaxed atmosphere.
Jon Borodach has enjoyed a diverse career as a conductor, educator, instrumentalist, and arranger working with student, professional and passionate amateur musicians. Before joining the Boulder Concert Band, Mr. Borodach was a student of Dr. Kenneth Singleton at the University of Northern Colorado, where he is in the dissertation
phase of completing the degree of Doctor of Arts. While at UNC, Mr. Borodach served as the conductor of the Symphonic Band following the retirements of Dr. Singleton and Dr.
Richard Mayne and he has worked closely with the current UNC Director of Bands, Dr. Wesley Broadnax.