NEWS
US Marine Band Concert at OU Canceled Due to Federal Government Shutdown
NORMAN –The University of Oklahoma Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts will host a free concert by “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, in Sharp Concert Hall, Catlett Music Center.
Presented in coordination with the OU School of Music, the performance is part of the Marine Band’s 2025 National Concert Tour through the Southern United States. Free tickets are available at TicketLeap. Limit four tickets per request.
“The OU School of Music is thrilled to welcome one of the preeminent musical organizations in the nation to our campus. Our students and community will experience musical art and craft at its highest level in this performance by ‘The President’s Own’ United States Marine Band,” said OU’s interim director of bands, Caroline Hand.
Founded in 1798, the Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization. Since 1891, it has toured the nation at the request of the President of the United States. Under the direction of Lt. Col. Ryan Nowlin, the 17th director of the band, the 2025 program will feature a wide range of works in the style of John Philip Sousa – including traditional band repertoire, Sousa marches, contemporary compositions, vocal and instrumental solos and a salute to the Armed Forces.
“We are incredibly excited to continue the tradition of our national concert tour. Musicians of the band are more eager than ever to share their musical talents with audiences live and in person on this year's tour,” Nowlin said. “We have tremendously appreciative patrons who come to Marine Band concerts for all types of different experiences, so our programs are designed to include a great variety of music that mirrors the wonderful diversity in our national musical heritage.”
“The President’s Own” has performed for every U.S. president since John Adams and is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most prestigious ensembles. Its national tours bring the White House musical experience to communities across the country, including audiences this year in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Early ticket requests are encouraged. Seating is general admission and open to ticket holders until 7:15 p.m.; remaining seats will be released to the standby line at that time.
The Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts produces over 400 concerts, recitals, dramas, musicals, operas and dance performances each year. Learn more at ou.edu/finearts.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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