Peru State Bands

Home
United States
Peru, NE
Peru State Bands

Call Website Contact the school

Peru State Bands
Peru State College
Peru, Nebraska Peru State College Bands holds the distinct privilege of being the second oldest band in Nebraska.

Our program strives to create an atmosphere of inclusion where all are welcome to participate in our community of music making. Membership is open to all students and represents a true cross-section of the Peru State student population.

09/21/2026

It's been a great start to the year for Peru State Bands! Our students have been hard at work in their ensembles and classes this fall. The Concert Band is preparing for their Fall Concert on October 22nd, and the Jazz Ensemble is getting ready for a number of on-campus performances including Jazz on the Green, their post-parade performance at Homecoming on October 24th, and their own concert in the Performing Arts Center on November 5th. It's a great time to be a Bobcat!

This weekend, a number of our students performed in the AppleJack Parade in Nebraska City as a part of the annual AppleJack Festival. They did an amazing job helping decorate the float and playing their parade tunes, and we are very proud of them for their service performing in our community! The selfless way in which these students showed up and had fun represents what makes our student experiences in music special at Peru State College. Way to go!

Each of our students have also been preparing solo works in their lessons this semester. They recently had an opportunity to share their progress with short performances for one another, which provided an important opportunity for them to practice performing and to receive feedback from one another and from our faculty. While the process of preparing music is not always glamorous, they have shown great dedication and growth so far this semester.

We are so proud of our students for a great start to the school year! More info will be available soon about our upcoming performances. Go Bobcats!

08/13/2026

As the school year is getting under way, we want to feature another of our recent Music Education PK-12 graduates, Sonia Cook! After earning her degree from Peru State College in May 2026, Sonia is beginning her career as the Middle School Band Director and High School Assistant Band Director at Schuyler Community Schools in Schuyler, NE this month. Congratulations, Sonia!

During her time at Peru State College, Sonia performed in the PSC Concert Band and the PSC Jazz Ensemble as a woodwind specialist, as well as with the PSC Concert Choir and in various other capacities as a vocalist. She previously student taught at Pyrtle Elementary and East High School in the Lincoln Public Schools district during the spring of 2026. We are so proud of you, and good luck this year!

07/28/2026

Congratulations to one of our recent graduates! PSC Music Education PK-12 graduate Abby Wingert (Dec. 2025) recently was hired as the middle and high school Band and Choir Director for the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton Community School District in Iowa. Abby will be starting in her new position in August 2026 leading the music programs for the EEHK district.

While a student at Peru State, Abby performed with the PSC Concert Band, the PSC Jazz Ensemble, and in numerous other capacities as a woodwind specialist. She previously student taught in the Nebraska City district. Way to go, Abby!

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!

04/29/2026

Proud of our students and Professor Kyu Butler!!

03/07/2026

Extremely proud of our students, Lauren and Shanti, for a beautiful performance with the Nebraska Intercollegiate Band today! The musicianship on display from the ensemble was outstanding, and the performance of four difficult works (including a world premiere performance of a piece) with barely 48 hours of group preparation deserves special recognition. Congratulations!!

03/05/2026

Two of our PSC Bands students, Lauren Wingert and Shanti Langille, have been nominated to perform with the Nebraska Intercollegiate Band this weekend! Lauren (euphonium) and Shanti (trumpet) will be traveling to Lincoln and rehearsing for many hours to perform a full concert on Saturday at the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Spring Convention. Students in the Intercollegiate Band are selected by director nominations to represent programs from across the state. Way to go, Bobcats!

01/31/2026

On the cusp of February, it's time to announce our next performance! The upcoming PSC Bands performance will feature the PSC Jazz Ensemble, the PSC Chamber Winds, and the PSC Concert Band performing a joint concert on Thursday, February 19th at 7:00 p.m. at the Peru State College Performing Arts Center. The groups will be performing an assortment of music representing different time periods and places that has a little something for everyone. We hope that you will join us for this concert!

The pictures below are from our "Sounds of the Season" concert at the end of the semester in December 2025. This performance was a smashing success, and our students did an amazing job sharing holiday musical favorites with a great audience.

01/01/2026

As we head into 2026, we are so grateful for our students and the beautiful music they have created this year. We're looking forward to making more memories and music together in the new year!

Here are a few more photos from the semester. Happy New Year!

12/10/2025

Very proud of all of our students for their performances in the "Sounds of the Season" holiday concert on December 5th! During the PSC Concert Band's performance on Friday, we recognized both Sonia Cook (clarinet, voice) and Lindsey Vance (flute), who will both be student teaching during the Spring semester. We are proud of you both, and good luck in the last stages of teaching before graduation!

Sonia also conducted a performance of "Silent Night," arranged by Sammy Nestico, with the Concert Band at the concert. She directed the band beautifully, and we look forward to more Music Education majors at Peru State College conducting the Concert Band as they prepare to student teach in the future.

Again, congratulations to all of our students on a special performance Friday! This tradition is a special one for our community, and one that we treasure each year.

Address

600 Hoyt Street
Peru, NE
68421

Telephone

+14028722237

Website

https://www.peru.edu/music

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Peru State Bands posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Peru State Bands:

Want your school to be the top-listed school/college in Peru?