The Brass Band of Central Illinois will present its annual holiday concert “The Wonder of Christmas” at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 11, 2021.
The concert will be held in the concert hall of the Center for the Performing Arts at Illinois State University (351 S. School St.) in Normal, IL.
Conducted by Dr. Sharon Huff, the band will present brass band arrangements of several favorite holiday music selections. The concert will also feature Amy Nelson as our guest cornet soloist.
The concert is free with no admission charge or tickets required. Voluntary donations will be accepted during the concert. We will also have a raffle drawing for free poinsettias at the end of the concert.
Please know that ISU is following current IDPH and State mandates requiring facemasks to be worn inside the Center for the Performing Arts at all times. We appreciate your understanding and willingness to comply with and adhere to these health safety protocols and guidelines.
If you cannot attend the concert in person, it will be live streamed free on the ISU School of Music YouTube channel. Here is a link to the live stream event: https://finearts.illinoisstate.edu/live/
We look forward to having you join us for a festive evening of holiday brass band music on Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 7:00 pm!
AMY NELSON, CORNET SOLOIST
Amy Nelson’s versatile resume crosses classical and commercial spectrums, ranging from pop and Broadway to orchestral, brass band, and chamber. A native of Waukegan, Illinois, she has lived and performed around the world. As a New York City resident, she was an active freelance musician and worked on Broadway. She spent two years as lead trumpet touring with the International Broadway tours of Cinderella, Fiddler on the Roof, and the Sound of Music. She’s currently a musician in Chicago’s Broadway theaters, and a busy performer around the Chicagoland area with a variety of ensembles and styles of music. Amy is a member of the Alliance Brass Quintet which keeps a busy performance and educational schedule, both throughout the United States and internationally. Amy has performed with pop star Adele at Chicago’s United Center and Iceland’s art rock band Sigur Ros at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Amy is a passionate champion of the cornet’s warm, lyrical, and expressive qualities. Amy holds five North American Brass Band Association Solo Champion titles, placing in the top three at NABBA’s solo competitions a record ten times. She has soloed at events like the Great American Brass Band Festival, the Grand Celebration of Brass Bands, the Grant Park Music Festival, the International Women’s Brass Conference, the Illinois Music Educator Association Conference, and the World Music Festival. She has held principal cornet positions with the Red Shield Brass Band, the Chicago Brass Band, the Illinois Brass Band, and the Princeton Brass Band. Her solo recording Song Of Hope (Peter Meechan) can be heard on Red Shield Brass Band’s cd Spero Per Musica. Amy has performed with and coached brass bands across the USA which have enjoyed success at American competitions, in the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Amy is a performing artist for Smith Watkins and Denis Wick.
Brass Band of Central Illinois 