|
May, 1854
|
Fountain
City
Music Association formed
|
|
June, 1876
|
Hutchins Brass Band gave concert in
Opera House in full uniform.
|
|
September, 1880
|
The Republican Band organized with
Henry Hall as leader.
|
|
May 27, 1898
|
Fond du Lac
Military Band organized with H. G. Bowen musical director and membership
of 24.
|
|
1900
|
Victorian bandstand erected in
Lakeside
Park
and donated to the community by Wm. McDermott
|
|
February, 1902
|
Grand concert given by Military Band
at Armory E, with Miss Bessie Marie Mayham as soprano soloist.
|
|
May, 1903
|
Fond du Lac
Musicians’ Association organized; Military Band members become charter
members.
|
|
January, 1906
|
H. G. Bowen resigns as director of
Military Band; Charles Ibs appointed director and Mervin Jones, manager.
|
|
June, 1908
|
Military Band won first honors at
Northwestern Band Association meeting at Mayville.
|
|
July, 1915
|
Concert series conducted by Grant
White, “playing to more than 5,000 people…”; Fred Kastorff is
business manager.
|
|
September, 1915
|
H. G. Bowen returns to
Fond du Lac
to lead Military Band.
|
|
March, 1919
|
Military Band gives 21st annual
concert at Armory E, featuring cornet soloist Joseph Schmitz; dancing
followed.
|
|
April 1, 1922
|
City of
Fond du Lac
Park Board appropriates $1,800 to pay for 12 band concerts
|
|
September, 1922
|
Joseph Schmitz named instructor of
school bands.
|
|
1925
|
Taylor Park bandstand is built by the
City at a cost of $7,000.
|
|
January, 1929
|
Bowen steps down due to ill health;
Joe Schmitz named new director of Military Band.
|
|
August, 1938
|
Military Band performs for crowds at
State Fair with Joe Schmitz as trumpet soloist.
|
|
May, 1948
|
Military Band celebrates 50th anniversary
with new uniforms and special entertainment at summer concerts.
|
|
September, 1948
|
Henry G. Bowen, founding director of
Military Band, dies.
|
|
April, 1954
|
Band’s fifty-fourth anniversary
marked with a banquet at the Hob Nob.
|
|
Summer, 1959
|
Military Band concert in
Lakeside
Park
bandstand is featured in the Saturday Evening Post
|
|
June, 1968
|
Lakeside Park Bandstand is renamed the
Joseph Schmitz Bandstand as part of a community tribute to Joe Schmitz for
his lifetime commitment to music in
Fond du Lac
|
|
December, 1968
|
Peter Runde is named successor to Joe
Schmitz as the Military Band’s music director
|
|
January, 1971
|
Ray Mortinger named director of
Military Band
|
|
January, 1972
|
Jim Donovan succeeds Mortinger as
Band’s conductor
|
|
January, 1974
|
Ray C. Wifler named new director of
Military Band
|
|
March 31, 1974
|
The newly-renamed Community Band
debuts at Goodrich Little Theatre
|
|
January, 1976
|
Mary Arthur
appointed Business Manager
|
|
November, 1976
|
First annual Cathedral Concert
|
|
January, 1977
|
Miles D. Adrian Memorial Scholarship
Fund established
|
|
May, 1978
|
Band awarded first of many grants from
Wis. Arts Board
|
|
September, 1978
|
First Band newsletter
|
|
October, 1978
|
Concert for WMEC - Madison
|
|
May, 1979
|
First record album produced
|
|
April, 1980
|
First annual Pops Concert
|
|
August, 1980
|
Tour to
Boston
MA
|
|
April, 1981
|
Band is incorporated at a non-profit
Wis.
corporation
|
|
Summer, 1981
|
Performances at State Fair and
Wis.
Bandmasters
|
|
January, 1982
|
Board of Advisors established
|
|
August, 1982
|
Tour to Knoxville World’s Fair
|
|
February, 1983
|
2nd recording celebrates Tenth
Anniversary of re-organization
|
|
January, 1984
|
1st annual Chamber Concert
|
|
April, 1984
|
Performance for Association of Concert
Bands National Convention in
Chicago
|
|
July, 1984
|
1st place, State Legion Senior Band
Contest
|
|
August, 1984
|
Southern Tour to
Ft. Walton Beach
,
FL
,
Gulfport
,
MS
, and the
New Orleans
Worlds Fair
|
|
July, 1985
|
Band performs as Adult Band of the
Year at Adult Band Conference -Northwestern University
|
|
Fall, 1985
|
Band is “In residence” at
Marian
College
|
|
Summer, 1987
|
Band spearheads effort
to construct outdoor performance center
|
|
August, 1988
|
$200,000
Buttermilk
Performance
Center
is dedicated
|
|
April, 1989
|
Named changed to
Fond du Lac
Symphonic Band
|
|
August, 1989
|
Canadian Tour, with concerts at
Stratford
,
Kingston
, and the Canadian National Exhibition at
Toronto
|
|
September,1990
|
Endowment Fund established
|
|
January, 1991
|
Performance at WNBA,
Wisconsin Rapids
|
|
August, 1991
|
Tour to
Mackinac Island
MI
|
|
June, 1992
|
Performance at ASBDA convention in
Green Bay
WI
|
|
March, 1993
|
Wifler elected to American Bandmasters
Association
|
|
Fall, 1993
|
Gainacopulos conducts while Dr. Wifler
teaches for a semester in
England
|
|
April, 1994
|
Sydney R. Mertz Award established to
recognize special contributions to the Band
|
|
August, 1994
|
Band performs for inaugural season of
Lucius
Woods
Performance
Center
in
Solon Springs
WI
|
|
Summer, 1995
|
Band’s local summer concerts and
regional touring artist performances
combined into summer-long Buttermilk Festival
|
|
July, 1997
|
Band tour to
Door
County
, with concerts in Algoma and Fish Creek
|
|
January, 1998
|
Benefit concert for Cathedral Church
of St. Paul
|
|
Summer, 1998
|
Centennial Band performs at Statehood
Day in
Madison
and around the state in celebration of the Band’s 100th
anniversary on May 28
|
|
April, 1999
|
Wifler honored at the conclusion of
his 25th year as Music Director
|
|
April, 2000
|
Performance at Association of Concert
Bands national convention in
Milwaukee
|
|
June, 2000
|
New concession stand at
Buttermilk
Creek
Park
completed and dedicated, with funding from the Kiwanis Club of Fabulous
Fond du Lac
|
|
April, 2000
|
Performance for Association of Concert
Bands at
Milwaukee
|
|
Spring, 2001
|
Band’s website debuts
|
|
Spring, 2001
|
Steve Uecker
appointed new Advisory Board head.
|
|
Summer, 2001
|
Wifler named Paul Harris Fellow by
FdLRotary Club
|
|
Fall, 2001
|
Wifler receives FdL Exchange Club
Golden Deeds Award
|
|
Fall, 2001
|
Dale Shipe
is named Assistant Conductor
|
|
February, 2002
|
Band sponsors local performance by U S
Navy Band
|
|
April, 2002
|
Pops Concert moves to new FdL High
School PAC
|
|
Summer, 2002
|
8-day tour to
Ireland
includes two performances and extensive sightseeing
|
|
Fall, 2002
|
Wifler receives FdL Arts Council Windy
Award and WMEA Community Service Award
|
|
Fall, 2002
|
Band honors
Mary Arthur
at the Cathedral Concert for her 27 years as Business Manager
|
|
December, 2002
|
Wifler retires from full-time teaching
at
Marian
College
|
|
October, 2003
|
Band sponsors performance by U.S.
Marine Band
|
|
November, 2003
|
Band premieres Silver Accolade by Dr.
David Gillingham
, composed to honor Wifler’s long tenure with the Band.
|
|
October, 2004
|
A New CD, “Pickles and Peppers” is
released in honor of the Band’s 30th anniversary since reorganization.
|
|
April, 2005
|
Internationally-renown bandmaster Dr.
Harry Begian is guest conductor at the 26th annual Pops Concert.
|
