a musical tradition for over 50 years
The Charlotte Concert Band (CCB) is a vibrant, volunteer community band of professional and amateur musicians in Charlotte, North Carolina. Our goal is to offer lifelong participation in music through quality performances of classic concert band repertoire—and provide the community with outstanding things to do in Charlotte.
We are a non-profit 501c3 organization and all of our funding comes from grants, donations, and ticket sales. As a community band, our goal is to serve all parts of the community, so we keep tickets at a reasonable cost.
Band members quickly discover a warm place to make both new acquaintances and great music. Since the band's formation in 1966, CCB members have developed friendships that last a lifetime. Some of our members have played together for more than 40 years and others moved to the greater Charlotte region just recently.
Our band personnel includes musicians from across the greater Charlotte region. Our vocations span the spectrum: we are active music educators, retired college professors, health care professionals, nuclear engineers, marketing executives and more. Regardless of our background, each week we are delighted come together and make music that we can share with our community
We are a non-profit 501c3 organization and all of our funding comes from grants, donations, and ticket sales. As a community band, our goal is to serve all parts of the community, so we keep tickets at a reasonable cost.
Band members quickly discover a warm place to make both new acquaintances and great music. Since the band's formation in 1966, CCB members have developed friendships that last a lifetime. Some of our members have played together for more than 40 years and others moved to the greater Charlotte region just recently.
Our band personnel includes musicians from across the greater Charlotte region. Our vocations span the spectrum: we are active music educators, retired college professors, health care professionals, nuclear engineers, marketing executives and more. Regardless of our background, each week we are delighted come together and make music that we can share with our community
director
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Drew Carter has directed the Charlotte Concert Band since the fall of 2012. He is the director of bands at Concord’s J.M. Robinson High School and former director at C.C. Griffin Middle School, where his bands received numerous Superior Ratings at various music festivals throughout the Southeast.
Prior to his appointments in Cabarrus County, he was director of bands at Chapel Hill High School in Chapel Hill, NC. There his responsibilities included the concert band, symphonic band, percussion ensemble, jazz band, marching Band, pit orchestra, and jazz combo program. While at CHHS, the concert band, marching bands, and percussion ensemble received numerous Superior ratings at district Music Performance Adjudication (MPA) events in Levels IV, V, and VI. The CHHS jazz program was honored at the 33rd Annual "Essentially Ellington" High School Jazz Festival at UNC in February 2010 as being the "Outstanding Jazz Band" and the "Outstanding Combo," as a result, the band was extended an invitation to perform with the acclaimed North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra. Prior to teaching at CHHS, Mr. Carter was the director of bands at West Alexander Middle School in Taylorsville, NC, where his teaching responsibilities included beginning, intermediate, advanced, and jazz bands, and well as percussion ensemble. While in Alexander County, Mr. Carter was an active performer with the Unifour Brass, Hickory Choral Society and Lenoir-Rhyne Concert Band. Mr. Carter received his bachelor of arts in music (horn performance) degree in 2000 and a master of arts in teaching in 2001, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, the North Carolina Music Educators Association, and the South Central District Bandmasters Association. He is married to his wonderful and supportive wife, Mandy. They live in Cabarrus County with their two sons, Van and Levi. |
Assistant Director
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Dr. Bennett Lentczner joined the Charlotte Concert Band in February 2014 and serves as its assistant director. He holds degrees from the Juilliard School of Music and Teachers College at Columbia University and earned a doctor of arts degree in conducting from Ball State University.
Dr. Lentczner has conducted many county and regional ensembles, including the 1992 North Carolina Regional All-State Orchestra. His credentials include professional conducting with the Southwest Virginia Opera Company as well as several professional orchestras for music theatre productions. On an academic level, Dr. Lentczner taught at North Shore Schools in Glen Head, New York where his bands were praised for their musical quality, rhythmic precision and excellent dynamic control. He served at Radford University as director of bands/orchestras and dean and at Winthrop University College as the founding dean of its visual and performing arts program. He also served at the New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida, as provost and CEO. He and his wife, a professional violinist and former teacher at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, live in Charlotte. |
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CCB Board Of Directors
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Director
Assistant Director President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Stage Manager Member-at-Large Member-at-Large Member-at-Large |
The Music
Our music appeals to a wide range of musician and audience preferences. We generally include some challenging concert band classics, such as the Suite in F by Holst, Clifton Williams's Symphonic Dance No. 3, Festive Overture by Shostakovich, or Robert Jager's Esprit de Corps. We also perform Broadway medleys, jazz standards, and marches that audiences love. We often include vocal and instrument soloists to highlight the many talents of our members.
