The Luther College Concert Band was formed in 1878, laying the foundation for what would become the college’s long-standing tradition of musical excellence. Concert Band is now one of the oldest touring organizations in the nation and ranks among the country’s outstanding undergraduate college bands. Concert Band is Luther College’s principal band ensemble.
From its beginnings as a student-directed brass and percussion ensemble formed with instruments from a discontinued community band, Concert Band rose to its current position of prestige through the influential directorships of Carlo Sperati (1905-1943), Weston Noble (1948-1973), and Frederick Nyline (1973-2011) and Joan deAlbuquerque (2011-2020). Since 2020 the Luther College Concert Band has been directed by Cory Near.
Distinctions
In 2016 the Luther College Concert Band was invited to participate in the North Central Regional Conference of the College Band Director’s National Association (CBDNA) in Ames, Iowa. The Band was also selected to perform at the 2014 North Central Regional CBDNA conference in Muncie, Indiana.
Prospective Students
Concert band meets five days a week, and is made up of musicians from all grade levels and study areas. Auditions for the ensemble take place every fall. Throughout the year Concert band hosts a variety of performances on-campus as well as maintaining an annual touring schedule, at the regional, national, and international level, in rotation with our other principal ensembles.
Symphonic Band is a newly formed ensemble open to all students on campus. In addition to a Family Weekend performance, the Symphonic Band enjoys regular concerts and special performances throughout the academic year. Since 2020 the Luther College Symphonic Band has been directed by Cory Near.
Prospective Students
Symphonic Band meets 3 days a week, and is made up of musicians from all grade levels and study areas. Membership in the ensemble requires a chair-placement assessment, which will occur at the beginning of each semester.
Find music from the Luther College Music Department on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music!
Master your instrument by studying woodwinds, brass and, percussion at Luther College! During your course of study you will learn about a wide range of repertoire, music theory, and proper technique for your instrument.
Click here to learn more about the 100 year history of band at Luther College written by Benjamin Yates ’08.
Meet the Director
2022-2023 Band Rosters
Concert Band
Piccolo
Hannah Stoutner, Whitehall, Wis.
Flute
Hannah Stoutner, Whitehall, Wis.
Mya Ploor, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Madeleine Way, Sun Prairie, Wis.
Jenna Kleven, Albert Lea, Minn.
Oboe
Lily McGohan, Decorah, Iowa
Madelyn O’Brien, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Britt Fulton, Minneapolis, Minn.
English Horn
Madelyn O’Brien, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Bassoon
Charlotte Appel, Lynnwood, Wash.
Adam McDonald, Cold Spring, Minn.
Owen Matzek, Hastings, Minn.
Contrabassoon
Adam McDonald, Cold Spring, Minn.
Clarinet
Sam Maston, Hudson, Mass.
Ryan Hinderaker, Ames, Iowa
Elijah Wallace, Roseville, Minn.
Hannah Saucedo, Harvard, Ill.
Kayla Brummer, Polk City, Iowa
Jax Rosland, Elmhurst, Ill.
Bass Clarinet
Kyle Pido, Rochester, Minn.
Mac Kenzie Frame, Farmington, Minn.
Percussion
Andrew Mantini, Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Audrey Zielstra, Glenwood, Iowa
Tyler Belanger, Geneseo, Ill.
Elenor Brown, La Crosse, Wis.
Abby Carroll, Saint Michael, Minn.
Alto Saxophone
Anders Peterson, Dassel, Minn.
David Helbling, Freeport, Ill.
Charlotte Ottemoeller, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Tenor Saxophone
Zachary Watson, Rochester, Minn.
Baritone Saxophone
Carson Weichers, Waverly, Iowa
Trumpet
Carly Witucki, Menomonie, Wis.
Karson Trujillo, Delano, Minn.
Matthew Boardman, Genoa, Wis.
Austin Efflandt, East Moline, Ill.
Morgan Coy, Mantorville, Minn.
Callie Pierce, Dodgeville, Wis.
Charles Jetton, Whitefish Bay, Wis.
Bre Hippler, Clive, Iowa
Emma Gibson, Iowa City, Iowa
Horn
Ethan Erickson, Rochester, Minn.
Meg Sessions, Decorah, Iowa
Ethan Kober, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Mathea Diedrich, Windsor, Wis.
Kaylee Turney, Zimmerman, Minn.
Margaret Stucker, Roseville, Minn.
Trombone
Eli Vorvick, Decorah, Iowa
Kamina Gager, Woodbury, Minn.
Evan McElroy, Iowa City, Iowa
Karlton Anderson, Baxter, Minn.
Bass Trombone
Zachary Cummer, Waverly, Iowa
Euphonium
Lars Heinecke, Center City, Minn.
Kieran Ulbee, Minneapolis, Minn.
Ted Weigle, Saint Michael, Minn.
Tuba
Mark Severtson, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Alex Van Surksum, Sheldon, Iowa
Mitchell McManus, Cannon Falls, Minn.
Symphonic Band
Piccolo
Piper Kellner, Lansing, Minn.
Flute
Erin Daniel, Ottawa, Ill.
Haylee Felt, Stewartville, Minn.
Ombeni Goss
Joseph Hulsizer, Marion, Iowa
Ashley Imdieke, Northfield, Minn.
Lauren Ingram, Mantorville, Minn
Leia Jones, Indianola, Iowa
Piper Kellner, Lansing, Minn.
Olivia Moore, Winona, Minn.
Violet Mowrey, Iowa City, Iowa
Bret Muhlbauer, Carroll, Iowa
Alexia Murano, Urbandale, Iowa
Kyra Rose, Minneapolis, Minn.
Brendan Scoonover, Clive, Iowa
Ella Grace Sines Thomasson, Charleston, S.C.
Rachel Van Fleet, St. Paul, Minn.
Shania Wehrmann, Juneau, Wis.
Oboe
Nathaniel Dennis, Winona, Minn.
Summer Jensen, Rosemount, Minn.
Lainey Patzloff, Edina, Minn.
Bassoon
Peter Manzke, Glen Ellyn, Ill.
Rebecca Zheng, Waverly, Iowa
Clarinet
Nijah Cesare, Crystal, Minn.
Codie Luse, McGregor, Iowa
Kathryn Merten, Ellensburg, Wash.
Allan Mills, Austin, Minn.
Arnie Mutasingwa, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Abigail Ostrum, Rosemount, Minn.
Annemarie Schloo, Minneapolis, Minn.
Lauran Schwake, Solon, Iowa
Bass Clarinet
Codie Luse, McGregor, Iowa
Olivia Mooney, Arcadia, Wis.
Maren Nietz, Zumbrota, Minn.
Alto Saxophone
Michael Burns, Forest City, Iowa
Hannah Coy, Mahtomedi, Minn.
August Phillis, Cedar Falls, Iowa
David Ramos, Sandwich, Ill.
Jacob Reister, Northfield, Minn.
Tenor Saxophone
Neohemiah TwoBears, Columbia Heights, Minn.
Jacob Wenger, Manchester, Iowa
Baritone Saxophone
Lawson Morris, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Trumpet
Rosie Baldus, Charles Coty, Iowa
Steven Charpentier, St. Paul, Minn.
Henry Franken, St. Paul, Minn.
Joseph Mehlhorn, Farmington, Minn.
Braya Odegard, St. Paul, Minn.
Lori Ostermeier, Slater, Iowa
Grace Patterson, Hazel Green, Wis.
Nicholas Perrott, Waverly, Iowa
Nick Rogness, Roseville, Minn.
Carter Sommerness, Cottage Grove, Minn.
Horn
Isaiah Kahl, Humboldt, Iowa
Emily Righter, Wellman, Iowa
Margaret Stucker, St. Paul, Minn.
Kaylee Turney, Zimmerman, Minn.
Trombone
Mallory Fynaardt, West Des Moines, Iowa
Jeremiah Haven, East Dubuque, Iowa
Cody Pierce, Dodgeville, Wis.
Bass Trombone
Haley Wince, West Des Moines, Iowa
Euphonium
Stian Krogstad, Fargo, N.D.
Dane Nygaard, Wesley, Iowa
Emmaleigh Ohrt, Spillville, Iowa
Cole Pollock, Ankeny, Iowa
Matt Snavely, Grayslake, Ill.
Tuba
Dylan Holven, Faribault, Minn.
Alyce Madson, Robbinsdale, Minn.
Matthew Rogness, Roseville, Minn.
Percussion
Caleb Christiansen, Asbury, Iowa
Morgan Coy, Mantorville, Minn.
Maggie Hickman, Solon, Iowa
Ethan Hagen Espino, Stillwater, Minn.