Wheaton Municipal Band concerts are a treasured routine for many concert-goers. The second concert of the Wheaton Municipal Band’s 2025 season offers a rare treat in the celebration of the music of Alfred Reed.

On Thursday, June 19, the Wheaton Municipal Band salutes Alfred Reed, a composer and the “master of wind band orchestration,” at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Park, 225 Karlskoga Ave. in downtown Wheaton.

A prolific composer, Reed wrote over 200 compositions for wind band, orchestra, and chamber ensembles. The band will perform several of Reed’s compositions and one of Reed’s most famous works, “Armenian Dances.”

The two-part composition was dedicated to the legendary conductor, Harry Begian, who was of Armenian descent. Of his many career accomplishments, Begian was music director at the University of Illinois for 14 years. He also frequently stood on the podium and directed the Wheaton Municipal Band as an honored guest. Many University of Illinois graduates in the band performed under Begian’s baton.

The band welcomes a special guest for the evening, Yasuhiro Murakami, a Japanese author, scholar, and conductor who specializes in the study of Reed’s compositions.

Murakami brings an expertise and a unique approach to the music of Alfred Reed. In Japan in 1981, Murakami had a life-changing encounter with Reed. The meeting marked a long-standing friendship that led to continued correspondence until Reed’s death. Thirty years ago, Murakami published a comprehensive biography and analytical guide of Reed’s music.

The Wheaton Municipal Band often features members of the band as soloists. This week, Kendra Gohr and Dan Mueller perform “Two-Part Inventions” by Philip Spark for Euphonium.

“This piece is exciting, complex and full of energy,” Mueller said. “Sparks takes full advantage of writing for two parts and uses beautiful melodies to demonstrate the virtuosity of the euphonium.”

Gohr, who has a bachelor in music education from the University of Illinois and an master’s degree on Euphonium Performance from Pennsylvania State University, grew up in Naperville.

Mueller has a bachelor’s degree in Euphonium Performance from Northern Illinois University and an master’s in Trombone Performance from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Don’t miss this exciting concert and a chance to experience the energy of Alfred Reed’s compositions as performed by the Wheaton Municipal Band.

The full acoustical blend of the large concert band, plus the outstanding acoustics of the Memorial Park band shell, make this a concert not to be missed. For more information, go to the band’s website at wheatonmunicipalband.org.