San Francisco Pride Band Bids Farewell to Maestro Pete Nowlen at “…On a High Note”
The San Francisco Pride Band will be performing their spring concert “…On a High Note” on June 8, 2025 at 3pm at the historic Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. Appropriately named, “…On a High Note” is of special importance as this will be the final concert of Artistic Director Pete Nowlen. Nowlen was appointed Artistic Director of Concert Band in August of 2013 and is the longest-serving director in the Band’s 47-year history. Regarding his time with the Band and of his retirement, Nowlen says, “It’s been an honor to be a part of the Pride Band. I will always hold a special place in my heart for the Band and every member that I’ve crossed paths with over the years. I look forward to spending much of my free time with my family.”
The Band will premiere “American Epic,” a composition by Carlos McMillan Fuentes, the third recipient of the Band’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) Commission Program, and a long-time colleague and collaborator of Nowlen’s. Fuentes says, ““American Epic” was written as an instrumental salute to the band’s present conductor, Maestro Pete Nowlen, and a celebration of the band’s history from 1978 to the present day.” Also an accomplished pianist, Fuentes will be the featured soloist when the band performs one of George Gershwin’s most celebrated classics, “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Also in the program is “Chamak”, by Indian-American composer Reena Esmail, and features tabla player Sheelvrat Pathak. The tabla is a Hindustani percussion instrument, played while sitting on the floor. “To A Liberator (A Lincoln Tribute)” by George Frederick McKay was written to pay homage to President Abraham Lincon’s life and legacy. “Tundra: A Cold That Burns” was written by Mexican cellist and composer Nubia Jaime-Donjuan who describes her piece as “the relationship between the warm musical genre of the danzón and the cold climate of the tundra.” “Tundra” features guest conductor and Artistic Director of Marching & Pep Programs, Mike Wong.
“Monkey Business” by David Lovrien closes out the show. Nowlen says, “For my first concert as guest conductor of the Band back in 2013, I chose “Monkey Business” as the finale. So it’s a full circle moment for me to conduct it one last time with the Pride Band for my final concert.”
Don’t miss this opportunity to help say farewell to Artistic Director Pete Nowlen while enjoying a great afternoon of music in the historic setting of Herbst Theatre.
EVENT DETAILS
“…On a High Note”
DATE: Sunday, June 8, 2025, 3-5pm
LOCATION: Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102
TICKETS: https://www.cityboxoffice.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=3189
Download a PDF copy of the press release here.
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The San Francisco Pride Band is the first openly-gay musical organization in the world, inspiring the formation of LGBTQ+ bands, choruses, and performing groups around the globe. Founded in 1978 by Jon Sims at the height of Anita Bryant’s anti-gay crusade, the Band has made music to build understanding among communities of all sexual orientations and identities for more than four decades. Ever since making a splash by marching up Market Street with Harvey Milk’s convertible in the 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade, the Band has been appearing throughout the City and its environs to promote LGBTQ+ visibility.
By city ordinance, in 2018 the Band was named “The Official Band of the City and County of San Francisco.” For over 47 years, the Band has continued to play with pride and build Jon’s envisioned world where music could put a known face on coming out, where music builds bridges, and where it wouldn’t matter whether you were queer or not. In the words of our inimitable founder Jon Sims, “Our Message is Music!”