Larry Curtis is a distinguished educator and professional conductor who’s interpretation and dynamic attention to musical detail offer audiences a truly exciting listening experience. His diverse musical background is exemplified by his guest conducting engagements which include performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra in Orange County, an Imagination Celebration concert in conjunction with New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, a live concert broadcast from Suisse Romane Studios in Geneva, Switzerland, a command performance for the Society for the Preservation of Film Music as well as conducting at the Hollywood Bowl. Larry Curtis is a recognized authority on wind band literature and has established an international reputation with performances and conducting engagements in Japan, Scotland, Canada, England, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Australia.
During his 25 year tenure as Conductor of Bands at California State University, Long Beach the Wind Symphony was considered to be one of the nation's finest collegiate instrumental ensembles. It performed for regional and national conferences of the College Band Directors National Association, American Bandmasters Association, National Wind Ensemble Conference, Japan Bandmasters Association, California Music Educators Association and the Music Educators National Conference. Mr. Curtis is a member the American Bandmasters Association and has served as President of the College Band Directors National Association, Western Division.
In 1999, Curtis established the American Winds Concert Band, a professional wind band of symphonic instrumentation, which performed its inaugural concert at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. This event marked the first professional wind band concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The band returned to the Hollywood Bowl for four highly successful engagements performing for an average attendance of 15,000. The American Winds has also performed at the Ojai Music Festival, Escondido Center for the Performing Arts, and Fullerton’s Meng Hall Concert Series.
Currently, Curtis serves the City of Long Beach as its Director of Music where his duties include conducting the Long Beach Municipal Band, the nation’s most distinguished professional wind band and its related jazz ensembles. In 2009 the Long Beach Municipal Band celebrated its 100th year.
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