Glenview Concert Band Celebrates 40th Anniversary With Spectacular Concert, World Premier of New Rossano Galante Band Work

GLENVIEW, IL – The Glenview Concert Band performed a special concert to celebrate 40 years of making music in the Chicago Northern Suburbs on April 27, 2025. Approximately 90 band members performed at the North Shore Center of the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL, a magnificent venue for the celebratory concert. Five of those members were founding members and have played in the band for the past 40 years! The Band’s Director Greg Wojcik led the band in a fantastic program of varied music, each piece having special meaning for the band.

The Band began the afternoon with former Glenview Concert Band director Ken Bartosz’s arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner. The program also featured long time band member Dick Schory’s arrangement of Mancini, a wonderful medley of Mancini songs. Assistant Conductor Linda Johnson conducted a very special tribute to all band members that have passed away, Julie Giroux’s One Life Beautiful.

The highlight of the concert was the world premiere of professional composer Rossano Galante’s Jet Speed, a piece specifically commissioned by and written for the Glenview Concert Band to commemorate the band’s 40th Anniversary and dedicated to the band’s conductor Greg Wojcik. Mr. Galante flew in from California to guest conduct the world premiere performance, after just one rehearsal with the band the day before the concert.

Jet Speed was very well received by the audience. It was written to reflect the excitement, energy, and majesty of the historic Glenview Naval Air Base, a now retired base that for decades was a staple in the hometown of the Glenview Concert Band.

The audience of approximately 600 people gave Mr. Galante and the band a standing ovation after the thrilling ending of Jet Speed.

“It was an amazing experience having the composer come work with the band,” said Director Greg Wojcik. “Everybody enjoyed the rare opportunity to work with the composer of the piece, and you couldn’t have asked for a better person and musician than Rossano Galante with which to work.”

To hear the world premiere performance of Jet Speed performed by the Glenview Concert Band and guest conducted by the composer, Rossano Galante, click here.

To see a gallery of pictures from the concert, click here.

For more information about the Glenview Concert Band, to book the band, or to join the band, please visit our website, www.glenviewband.org.