Avon Lake Symphonic Band Performs At Severance Hall

More than 1,000 people listened to the Avon Lake Symphonic Band perform the premier of Jacob Market’s new work at Severance Hall Jan. 23.

The piece, titled "Caeli et Terrae," was written and composed by Market, a 2008 Avon Lake High School graduate now in his third year majoring in music composition at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. The performance drew more than 350 Avon Lake residents, including Avon Lake Mayor K.C. Zuber and several members of the Avon Lake Board of Education.

The Symphonic Band also performed Tschesnokoff's "Salvation Is Created" directed by guest conductor Dr. John Knight, a professor of conducting and music education at Oberlin.

David Eddleman, who directs bands, said the performance was part of the Northeast Ohio Band Invitational sponsored by the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony.

“Four bands from Northeast Ohio were invited to perform,” Eddleman said. “Our students were magnificent.”

Also performing were bands from Avon Lake, Bay, Riverside and Perry high schools.

The performance was another notch for the district’s historically solid music program.

“Last fall, our Marching Shoremen qualified for state and performed at State Finals at the University of Dayton on Nov. 7,” Eddleman said. “The band received an overall ‘excellent’ rating. That was the fourth time our Marching Shoremen made it to State Finals.”

A host of other events are planned this spring. Avon Lake’s Symphonic Band has also been invited to perform with the Cleveland State University Wind Ensemble on March 2 at 8 p.m. at Cleveland State University and along with a regularly scheduled band concert on March 8, the Symphonic Band and Concert Band will be performing at the Ohio Music Educators Association (OMEA) District Band Contest on either March 18 or 19 at Strongsville High School.