05/11/2026
It's been an amazing time for the Peru State Bands over the last few weeks! First, we held our Jazz Festival on April 10th, hosted by the Peru State College Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Mark Benson. The College hosted 8 jazz ensembles from the area this year, and each band was given a clinic by the leader of the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, saxophonist Ed Love. The PSC Jazz Ensemble performed twice that day and sounded great!
Following that, a small group of students from the Bands performed in Peru Theatre Company's production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as the "Faerie Band" performing incidental music for the show. The production was a hoot, with great work from our student actors and musicians under the direction of Laura Gold. Bravo to all!
Another group of Band students performed the national anthem and the Fight Song at our spring football game on April 18th. The students did an excellent job bringing the Bobcat spirit to the start of the game and played very well. We are looking at more opportunities next year for students to perform at athletic games and events!
The PSC Jazz Ensemble performed again at Jazz on the Green on April 30th, swinging us into May. They played a set of 9 tunes and entertained students as they finished the semester and geared up for finals week.
The Peru State College Concert Band performed their last concert of the semester and the academic year on May 6th, playing 7 pieces and featuring Mark Benson as a soloist on alto saxophone. The concert was beautifully performed by the students, and it allowed us to honor Mark as he departs Peru State College after seven years of dedicated service as Jazz Ensemble director and Instructor of Woodwinds. We will miss you, Mark! Dr. Bob Luther led the band, and he also recognized the contributions of three departing seniors as well as sophomore clarinetist Ava Bolli, who will be continuing her studies at UNMC next year. The senior students who are graduating include trumpeter Connor Parker, trombonist Kylie Hansen (student teaching in Fall 2026), and percussionist Trevor Gehring, who joined the band two weeks before the final concert! We are proud of all of our students and seniors leaving us, and we wish you well in your bright futures!
Finally, several of our students performed in the Thousand Oaks Brass Ensemble for the 2026 Commencement ceremony at Peru State on May 9th. They and several others also played in the PSC Jazz Ensemble during the reception on the quad following the ceremony. They closed a year full of growth beautifully with their fine playing. We were also excited to see student teachers Sonia Maria Cook and Abby Wingert graduate this year. Congratulations!!
A few photos from the last few weeks of events are included. We thank our audience members and patrons for attending our events this year, but most of all, we are grateful to our students for their amazing contributions, dedication, and music-making. Here's to the start of a well-earned summer break!
