The Gardner Area Band has been selected to represent Illinois in the Spoleto Arts Festival in Charleston, South Carolina and the National Festival of the States in Savannah, Georgia.  The band will leave Illinois on Thursday, May 30th for Charleston, South Carolina.  Once the Gardner Area Band arrives in Charleston, they will do numerous sightseeing activities including visiting Fort Sumter, Tybee Island, the Citadel, Rainbow Row.  The band performs on Saturday, June 1st.  On June 2nd, the band will be performing in the town square where the opening scene to Forest Gump was filmed.

Since its inaugural season, the Spoleto Arts Festival USA has established itself as America’s premier performing arts festival.  For 17 days and nights beginning the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, Spoleto fills Charleston with renowned artists and emerging performers in disciplines including opera, theater, dance, and a wide range of music-from symphonic and chamber music to choral, jazz, and folk music.  In a typical season, Spoleto mounts 150 performances in more than 10 venues.

The Gardner Area Band has been recognized for their outstanding performances on the local, state, and national level and is under the direction of Mr. Michael Leone.  This will be the Gardner Area Band’s fourth national performance under the guidance of Mr. Leone.  In the past, the band has performed in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC, Nashville Christmas Parade, Country Music Hall of Fame, and Mount Rushmore National Park.