The internationally acclaimed United States Army Field Band of Washington, DC will continue its long tradition of presenting free public performances when it appears at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Saturday, November 18 at 7:30 PM . The Army Field Band’s concert in Athens is sponsored by The Ohio University School of Music and University Bands.

The Concert Band & Soldiers’ Chorus are the oldest and largest of The U.S. Army Field Band’s performing components. These two ensembles combine to present joint concerts on their national tours. They have performed in all 50 states and 30 foreign countries for audiences totaling hundreds of millions.

The 65-member Concert Band and 29-member Soldiers’ Chorus perform regularly in some of the most famous concert halls in the world, and just as often in the humblest auditoriums in the smallest of communities. The joining of these two ensembles allows them to offer unparalleled versatility of programming, ranging from orchestral masterworks and operatic arias to Sousa marches, jazz classics, and Broadway musicals. The band and chorus also perform independently, and have recently shared the stage with such ensembles as the Boston Pops, the Cincinnati Pops, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to their national tours, formal concerts, chamber recitals, and educational outreach, members of the Concert Band and Soldiers’ Chorus frequently represent the Army at formal and ceremonial functions, including the Presidential Inaugural Parade, presidential funerals, the Army All- American Bowl, and diplomatic efforts overseas. More than six decades as the military’s most traveled musicians have earned them the title, “The Musical Ambassadors of the Army.”

For additional information about the Army Field Band’s performance in Athens , please contact Dr. Andrew Trachsel, Director of Bands at Ohio University at trachsel@ohio.edu. Free tickets may be picked up at either the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium Box Office or the School of Music Main Office in Robert Glidden Hall.