After more than three decades at the podium, Gerald Guilbeaux will conduct his final performance with the Lafayette Concert Band on Sunday, Oct. 12.
The complimentary concert begins at 3:30 p.m. in the new Scotty Walker Concert Hall at Lafayette High School, according to a news release.
A Carencro native and graduate of the University of Louisiana School of Music, Guilbeaux has directed the all-volunteer ensemble since 1993, guiding the group through more than 200 performances. Under his leadership, the band has appeared at two Association of Concert Bands national conventions, the Louisiana Music Educators Association state conference, the National World War II Museum and venues throughout Acadiana.
The Lafayette Concert Band was established in 1982 and now comprises 90 accomplished musicians, featuring ensembles of brass, woodwind and percussion instruments. The group has earned national recognition from The John Philip Sousa Foundation, including the Sudler Silver Scroll, the highest honor available to North American community bands.
At the time of the award, the LCB was only the 22nd adult community band in the country to receive the distinction.
The band continues to enrich Lafayette’s cultural landscape with a wide repertoire, from formal concerts to outdoor performances. The final concert under Guilbeaux’s baton will highlight favorites from his longtime repertoire, including Steven Reineke’s “Celebration Fanfare” and Gustav Holst’s “First Suite in E-Flat.”
New works by local composers David Galan and Andrew Morgan Smith, written in honor of Guilbeaux’s retirement, will also debut. Guest conductors Charles Guardia, Billy Hochkeppel, and Scotty Walker are scheduled to participate, with the Lafayette High School Wind Ensemble joining the program.
Beyond Acadiana, Guilbeaux is recognized nationally as an advocate for adult community music. He is a past president of the Association of Concert Bands, a member and conductor with Windjammers Unlimited, and a Fellow of the Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts.
He also has been honored with the 2021 Community Band Division of the American Prize in Conducting and is an associate member of the American Bandmasters Association. Currently, he serves as vice president/treasurer of the John Philip Sousa Foundation and assistant conductor of its National Community Band.
Reflecting on his career, Guilbeaux, it has been his honor to serve as the conductor of the Lafayette Concert Band since October 1993.
“Over the past 32 years, leading this remarkable organization has brought me immense fulfillment,” Guilbeaux said. “I have made the decision to retire from my position as conductor following our October 12th concert. With the confirmation of the band’s Board of Directors, my dear friend Scotty Walker will become the seventh conductor of the Lafayette Concert Band.”
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Gerald Guilbeaux to conduct final Lafayette Concert Band concert Oct. 12
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