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Columbia Community Band


The Columbia Community Band is one of the Midwest’s premier symphonic concert bands. It offers membership to professional and non-professional musicians from all across the Mid-Missouri community.


The Columbia Community Band was founded in 1981 as part of the Columbia Public Schools Adult Education Program. It is comprised of a group of dedicated volunteer musicians. Since its inception, the Columbia Community Band has become one of the Midwest’s premier symphonic concert bands, and has grown from an initial membership of approximately twenty, to seventy musicians today.

The Columbia Community band’s first conductor, Butch Antal, was trumpeter with the Henry Mancini Orchestra and other professional bands. Mr. Antal established and guided The Columbia Community Band through its first six years.

Mr. Alan Nellis lead the band from 1986 to 1988, followed by Professor Keith House, who served as music director from 1989 to 2005. Mr. John Patterson succeeded Mr. Keith House as director in 2005. Mr. Patterson has been with The Columbia Community Band since 1998 as a band member, becoming assistant director in 1999, and director in 2005. In 2006, Mr. Patterson was instrumental in leading The Columbia Community Band through its 25th anniversary celebration. Mr. Paul Copenhaver joined The Columbia Community Band in 2008 as an assistant director.

The Columbia Community Band was the first concert band to perform in the Historic Missouri Theatre in Columbia and the first community band to perform at the International Scott Joplin Festival in Sedalia, Missouri. By invitation, The Columbia Community Band has performed at the Missouri Bandmasters’ Association annual convention in 1991 and 2007, as well as the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference and the Association of Concert Bands.

In 1999, The Columbia Community Band expanded its performance venues when it traveled to England and Scotland to perform a ten day concert tour.

In 2006, The Columbia Community Band celebrated its 25th anniversary with a concert and reception at the Missouri Theatre in Columbia. The musical program featured an overture composed by CCB composer-in-residence, Dr. John Cheetham, Overture: Silver Jubilee, which was written for the occasion.

The Columbia Community Band continues its long tradition of performing three formal indoor concerts per year, as well as a variety of outdoor performances in Columbia and surrounding communities. All performances by the band are always free to the public. The band also has the pleasure of offering the Keith House Scholarship every year to a local area high school senior, who will be participating in music in college. A community band such as this is becoming rarer in the United States, so the CCB is truly a gem in the Mid-Missouri community.