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Allentown Band in the 118th Annual Bethlehem Bach Festival!

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  In a landmark collaboration for America’s Semiquincentennial, two of the Lehigh Valley’s most storied musical institutions – the Allentown Band, under the direction of Ron Demkee, and the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, under the direction of Conductor Christopher Jackson, join forces for a powerful musical tribute to freedom, heritage, and service. Featuring Randall Thompson’s stirring The Testament to Freedom, inspired by the words of Thomas Jefferson and other significant American texts, the program also includes selections from Bethlehem’s Moravian musical tradition – curated by the Moravian Music Foundation – which anchor the concert in the Lehigh Valley’s own rich musical legacy. Presented outdoors at the Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks, this program invites audiences to rejoice in the music that gives voice to the American spirit as we close out our 118th Festival. The 118th Bethlehem Bach Festival is coming this May 7-10th to Historic Downtown and SouthSide Bethlehem. This festi...
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American Heritage Celebration TIME CHANGE

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  Please note that the time of this concert has been changed to 3:30 PM . This time is reflected correctly above (this image appears in the Home Page slide show) and also in our Facebook events. At the time of writing this post (April 30, 2PM), our web hosting service is dealing with a security issue that prevents us from updating our event calendar on the web site. The event calendar still reflects the prior scheduled time. We will update the event calendar as soon as our access is restored. UPDATE: 9:00PM Our hosting service has developed a workaround for the security issue that allowed us to update the schedule.
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We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Jon Conrad. Jon B. Conrad, 65, of Bethlehem, devoted husband, father, musician, and human resources leader, passed away peacefully, Friday, February 27, 2026, surrounded by his loving family, after a courageous battle with interstitial lung disease related to Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Music and community service were central to who Jon was. He served on the Board of the American Red Cross for more than 20 years, as President of the Allentown Band for 19 years; (a proud member of the trombone section since 1988); and as a co-founder of the Silver & Brass Trombone Quartet, with whom he performed for 40 years . Jon's family has created a loving tribute here.
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Allentown Band Receives Advancement of Music Grant

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  The Allentown Band is proud to share that we've been awarded the Advancement of Music grant from The Presser Foundation!   These funds will allow us to continue preserving and advancing the heritage of concert band music by providing quality, inspiring performances and education in partnership with the community and beyond. Thank you to everyone who made this possible!
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Honored to Appear Again At Carnegie Hall!

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The Allentown Band has the honor of returning to Carnegie Hall for the sixth time to present the Showcase Concert for the 2026 New York Spring Music Festival on Wednesday, March 25th, 2026. This festival is one of four events that World Projects produces in New York City. These events provide young musicians with an experience that offers the opportunity for musical growth while creating lasting memories. The spring festival is open to high school, college, community bands, choirs and orchestras, by audition only. It is much to the credit of The Allentown Band that the band has been frequently invited to present the Showcase Concert.  A LIMITED NUMBER of concert tickets and round trip bus fares for this concert are available to friends of the band. Tickets and bus seats will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. When a bus is at capacity, a waiting list will be created to record orders as received. An additional bus will be chartered only if there is enough deman...
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Dr. Demkee Honored by Rotary International

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  Presenters Rod and Sheila Seifert, Ron, and Rodney Conn, President of the Morning Star Rotary Club At the recent Salute to Troops Concert in November, the Morning Star Rotary of Bethlehem named Dr. Demkee a "Paul Harris Fellow" in "appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among people of the world." The Allentown Band is proud to have been a part of the Morning Star Rotary Club's annual Salute the Troops concert for 21 years, most of which have benefited the Victory House of the Lehigh Valley,
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Dr. Demkee Honored for 60 Years of Membership

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 Tuesday November 26, 2025 was the 60th annual holiday dinner concert, which certainly has become an Allentown Band tradition. Over two hundred friends and supports gathered for this festive occasion at a new venue, the DeSales University Center in Center Valley. A highlight of this special evening was recognition of Dr. Demkee's 60 years of membership in The Allentown Band. Ron started his band career playing tuba, and of course has served almost fifty years as music director and conductor. On behalf of the board and membership, DeVaughn Roberts presented Ron with a shadowbox keepsake and read this statement from the board president Jon Conrad: Dear Ron,  Sixty years is an extraordinary milestone. It is remarkable to reflect on how far things have come since 1965, when you first joined the Allentown Band as a member of the tuba section and soloist under Bert Meyers. Just over a decade later, in November 1977, you were nominated and selected as conductor, beginning in 1978. Si...
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