CARBONDALE (SIU NEWS) — The U.S. Navy Band Great Lakes wind ensemble will give a free, public performance on Monday, Dec. 8, in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Shryock Auditorium.
The holiday concert will begin at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are not required. The SIU School of Music is sponsoring the event.
Under the direction of Lt. David Harbuziuk, the concert is part of 250 to 300 military ceremonial support and public outreach performances by the band each year. In 2025 and 2026, the concerts have an added initiative of celebrating the Navy’s 250th birthday this year and the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026, Harbuziuk said.
The wind ensemble comprises 36 active-duty sailor-musicians, and from within that group, they split into smaller units, including the brass quintet, woodwind quintet, popular music group, jazz combo, New Orleans-style brass band and a ceremonial/parade band, Harbuziuk said.
Prior to the wind ensemble performance, select members of the wind ensemble will present master classes to SIU School of Music students.
“Having the Navy Band at SIU is a wonderful opportunity for our students to grow and learn,” said Ricky Spears, an assistant professor of trumpet and assistant director of athletic bands in the School of Music, who helped arrange the concert. “Any time you have professionals on campus, it’s a chance for growth and relationship building. The students come to SIU for a career, and being a military musician is a tangible possibility for our students.”
Band based in Great Lakes, Illinois
Known as the Navy’s “ambassadors to the Midwest,” Navy Band Great Lakes, which was established in 1911, is based at Naval Service Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. The Navy has 11 bands with similar missions — Naval Station Great Lakes has a nine-state area of responsibility, including Illinois. Navy bands tour throughout the United States and the world.
“I am thrilled to be bringing our wind ensemble to engage with the students of SIU Carbondale and to perform a concert for the community in and around Carbondale,” Harbuziuk said. “The student engagement provides an opportunity for our musicians to utilize their talents and skills to give back to the community and to highlight just one of many service opportunities available in the United States Navy. The concert provides an excellent opportunity for those in attendance to see technical excellence and artistry displayed through music, and it provides a glimpse of the level of technical excellence exhibited by the entire U.S. Navy.”
Chief Musician Edward Reid, a former colleague of Spears, connected the Navy Band Great Lakes Tour Operations Department with Spears after learning Navy Band Great Lakes was looking to perform a public outreach holiday concert, Harbuziuk said.
He added that it’s an honor for the ensemble to connect with the public, whether with veterans, friends and family of those who have served or are currently serving, or people coming to support the Navy and enjoy the concert.
“My hope is that the audience leaves our concert with an increased sense of pride and patriotism, that they would be entertained by the music, that they would feel inspired by the expertise and artistry on display, and that they would have an increased awareness of the many service opportunities available in the U.S. Navy,” he said.
The performance marks the second military band concert at SIU Carbondale in the past 14 months. The U.S. Marine Band performed at Shryock Auditorium in October 2024.
