The Italian Heritage Center Concert Band is a community band that rehearses at the Italian Heritage Center of Portland. The band has been active since 1988 and recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary.
Today the band has about 65 players, ranging in age from high school students to retirees, and from all walks of life. We give about ten concert performances a year both at the Italian Heritage Center and in the community at large. During the summer months we put on a series of 'Pops' Concerts and have performed at venues such as the Deertrees Theatre in Harrison, the Bath Gazebo, The Atrium in Portland, 100 State Street, Sea Dogs Ballgame and Deering Oaks Park. We are also a regular participant in the annual R.B. Hall Day in June and hosted this event in 2006 at Falmouth High School.
We play a diverse selection of music, including pop and show tunes, big band jazz, patriotic favorites, symphonic melodies and marches by American masters. We have a nice selection of Italian music, as well.
The group enjoys inviting outside groups to be a part of our performances. Special guests have included Toshi Shimada, former conductor of the Portland Symphony, Dr. Peter Martin, Director of Music at the University of Southern Maine, members of the Southern Maine Children's Choir under the direction of Lise Dunn, The Atlantica Sax Quartet, Maine Ballroom Dancers. The Blueberry PANCakes Steel Drum Band, and vocalists from the USM School of Music. We also extend our talents to local schools to celebrate Music in Our Schools Month in March.
Our conductor, Nina K. Oatley, has been with the band since 1996.
She is a Music Performance and Education graduate of the University of Southern Maine and studied conducting with Dr. Peter Martin. She is also an accomplished clarinetist and has a private music studio where she teaches clarinet and saxophone.
We accept players of all nationalities, creeds, ages and occupations. We are always looking for new members. No auditions required!!
Rehearsals are Wednesdays, 7:30pm to 9:30pm at the Italian Heritage Center, 40 Westland Avenue, Portland, Maine (behind Shaw's Westgate Shopping Center).
If you are a high school student just out of school who is looking for a place to keep playing that instrument, someone who just found their horn in a closet and thinks they'd like to play again, or you just want another band to play in, come give us a try!
Contact Music Director Nina K. Oatley at 415-0880 for more information.
