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The Capital University Big Band, under the direction of Dr. Lou Fischer since 1994, is an eighteen piece, undergraduate, award-winning jazz ensemble that performs both standard/traditional and contemporary repertoire. The band appears in concert often, on and off campus, and at various regional, national and international festivals.
In April 2009, the Big Band performed at the 40th Annual Loyola University Jazz Festival in New Orleans garnering an Outstanding Band Acknowledgement and four Outstanding Student Musicianship awards! in July 2006, the band performed to standing ovations at the Jazz Festivals in:
Further, this was on the heels of a 2003 trip to Montreux, which included performances at Jazz a'Vienne (France), and the grand-daddy of them all, the North Sea Jazz Festival (Holland), summer 2003. In February 2007 & 2010, the Capital Big Band performed as one of 12 selected ensembles at the prestigious Notre Dame Jazz Festival! During the past 12 years, the ensemble has appeared at the Aquinas College and Tri-C Jazz Festivals, in addition to six Elmhurst Intercollegiate Jazz Festivals, and has received Outstanding Band awards at every venue on each occasion. Further, upwards of twenty of our students have received Outstanding Musician awards! In 2011 the band will be participating and performing in the University of Louisville Jazz Festival, February 25-26. Some of the world's greatest jazz soloists perform with the ensemble during Capital's annual Jazz and World Music Festival held on campus each spring. Past artists have included:
Student and faculty arrangements/compositions are encouraged. In addition, participation in the Big Band is open to anyone enrolled at Capital University, both music majors as well as non-music majors.