Is it truly summer until Evansville Symphonic Band takes the stage? The group of musicians plans a trio of free shows in June featuring music dear to the heart of longtime conductor Kim Fillingim, who is in his last year with the baton.
Highlights of the June 8 show include French horn performances by Ryan Luttrull on Rick DeJonge’s “Mystic Dance” and Luttrull with Art Adye on Léo Delibes’ “Flower Duet,” plus guest vocals by Shay Barnett on the ballad “Never Enough” from the 2017 film “The Greatest Showman.”
Conductor emeritus Timothy Zifer on June 15 leads a performance of Frank Ticheli’s jazzy “Blue Shades,” and guest vocalist Charles Blesch joins for Henry Mancini’s “Moon River,” originally sung by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
The band’s three-show run concludes June 22 with a patriotic lineup honoring American military heritage. Attendees can enjoy James Goodhue’s solo on Philip Sparke’s “Clarinet Concerto” and an arrangement of “Amazing Grace” featuring singer Kerri Blanford. David Smith, retiring this year as Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation superintendent, will conduct two pieces, a nod as his years teaching music.
At the June 22 concert, seventeen 2025 graduates of area high schools will join the 54-member symphonic band; all received music honors from their schools. “It’s always neat to showcase the talent of the recent graduates,” Fillingim says. “Some will go into music in college. It’s always well received by the audience, and we’ll do a wide variety of music.”
All three June concerts begin at 4 p.m. in Central High School’s auditorium at 5400 First Ave. Performances are free, but donations are accepted. Fillingim notes the Evansville Symphonic Band relies on donations, grants, and sponsorships.
Fillingim conducted the symphonic band from 1998 to 2007 and picked the baton back up in 2014, but his affiliation began decades ago. Fillingim first played in the band in 1970, and since then, he’s pretty much been and done it all — trombone section member, treasurer, property manager, board member, and board president. His wife, Mary, plays bass clarinet.
“The band has always been special to me since my parents took me to some of the concerts in the 1960s, and I always wanted to be a part of the organization,” says Fillingim, who retired in 2018 after 31 years as an EVSC music teacher and administrator and is a past Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra member.
The symphonic band’s holiday-themed concert November will be Filligim’s last as conductor, which he calls a bittersweet occasion. “I will miss having the best seat in the house in front of these amazing players, but it is time to give someone else the opportunity to conduct the band,” he says. “I know the band will continue to thrive due to the band’s talented performers and dedicated audience.”
