About the Ithaca Concert Band
Ithaca and the surrounding areas have a rich history of outstanding community bands. The most noted is the famous Conway Band which performed both locally and nationally during the early 1900's and gained a national following.
In 1975, young area musician Robert Sweet was a graduate student at SUNY Cortland working on a master’s degree in Recreation, and he recognized Ithaca did not have a community band at that time. In lieu of a master's thesis he elected to do research on the last time Ithaca had a community band. Upon finding there had not been one since the Patrick Conway Band in the early 1900s, Sweet approached what was then the Ithaca Youth Bureau to initiate the project, and he sought out Ithaca College music professor Joan Beeler, who agreed to conduct the band. Sweet, Beeler, and others recognized that a great investment of money and time was made in music education for youth through high school. Without community bands, upon graduation most would put their instruments away with few continuing to make life-long music. The concept of bringing a community band back to Ithaca was to give those folks a chance to continue to play music and perform with a group.
The Ithaca Concert Band was founded in 1976 by a small group of dedicated and community-minded individuals. The band was formed with the intention of providing live, quality musical performances at places accessible to all people of Tompkins County and to offer local musicians a challenging and rewarding musical experience in an encouraging environment. To this day, the band carries on its original mission. During the beginning stages in 1976, Joan and the founding members worked hard to secure funding, rehearsal space, and additional musicians to perform. In 1977, Joan left the band and Henry Neubert took over the leadership. Henry, a professor at the Ithaca College School of Music, conducted the band until July 1999 — an amazing 22 years.
At the beginning of the 2000 summer season the band welcomed Keith Kaiser and Elizabeth (Beth) Peterson, (faculty members at Ithaca College) who shared the role of conductor. Kaiser was succeeded in 2011 by Mark Fonder, also an Ithaca College faculty member.
During the summer of 2015, after the departure of Drs. Peterson and Fonder, the band welcomed conductors Arthur (Art) Carichner and Richard (Rick) Eleck, Jr. Eleck retired from his role as a conductor following the 50th anniversary concert in May 2026. Band members Barry Peters and Collin Smith were selected as conductors in spring 2026, joining Art Carichner. More information on ICB conductors can be found on the Band Conductors Page.
The Ithaca Concert Band is a popular group, drawing crowds in excess of several hundred at its performances throughout the year. The band is also popular with the area's musicians and has had over 500 people performing with the band over the years. Believe it or not, we still have people in the band now who were there when it all began.
The band plays many concerts throughout the year, both inside and outside, at locations around Tompkins County and sometimes farther away. In addition to an outdoor summer concert series, the band performs at local concert halls, community festivals and other local events, and has regularly performed “adopt-a-band” concerts to play with area schools and youth musicians. ICB is the community's band and the band's Board of Directors selects concert venues that allow us to be seen and heard by many different people at a variety of locations.
Pioneering American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead is quoted as saying, “"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” The success and longevity of the Ithaca Concert Band is evidence of these wise words. ICB is grateful for Bob Sweet’s idea, and for inaugural conductor Joan Beeler’s willingness to get the band off the ground. We are thankful for band supporters including the Hockett and Allaben families. We appreciate the late Henry Neubert and his 22 years of band leadership, and we are grateful for all of our conductors since. We are thankful to our funders and private donors for financial support. Last but not least, ICB would not be what it is without the talented and dedicated musicians from the area. Here’s to many years ahead!
