Three Rivers Community Band festival draws regional musicians

Dillon Carr | Friday, March 22, 2019 11:19 a.m.

Jim Hanna of Penn Hills plays the trumpet during a March 2016 rehearsal for the East Winds Symphonic Band at the Trinity Christian School in Forest Hills.

A symphonic band made up of instrumentalists from the East Suburbs will perform at the 16th annual Three Rivers Community Band festival in March.

The East Winds Symphonic Band will join three others at the festival that will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. March 30 at Upper St. Clair Theater, 1825 McLaughlin Run Road. Doors open at 1:15 p.m. and admission is free.

The East Winds Symphonic Band, formed in 1981 with 24 members, founded the festival in 2003. Today, there are more than 80 musicians from Murrysville, Monroeville and Penn Hills.

Community Band South, which represents instrumentalists from the South Hills, will perform, as well as Canfield Community Concert Band, a regional guest band from Canfield, Ohio.

The fourth band is comprised of 78 instrumentalists from 61 community bands and other ensembles in Allegheny County and 10 counties in the region. The 2019 Festival Band will be conducted by Christopher Nichter, director of the Bearcat Bands at the University of Cincinnati.

Complimentary refreshments follow the concert, along with a chance to meet the musicians.