About San Jose
Metropolitan Band
Welcome to the San Jose
Metropolitan Band's page on the web. We are a contemporary
concert band, playing in the tradition of a community band serenading
an afternoon picnic. We give performances throughout the
Santa Clara Valley of California, playing a mix of marches,
showtunes, Disney, big band and symphonic classics.
Our Background
SAN JOSE, CA: Founded
in 1967, the San Jose Metropolitan Band (SJMB) has provided
over 40 years of community service to the Santa Clara Valley.
Originally under the auspices of the San Jose Metropolitan Adult
Education Program (MAEP), the Band now operates independently
as a non-profit public benefit corporation.
The band is made up of more than 40 members, ranging in age
from 16 thru 80's, including musicians whose experience spans
over half a century. Based in San Jose, the band provides an
opportunity for Bay Area residents to participate in large ensemble
playing. Through its self-administered program, the SJMB offers
local musicians the opportunity to sharpen their musical skills
in a sociable, relaxed atmosphere while providing wholesome
entertainment to the community.
The SJMB plays symphonic
concert band music in a sit-down format, with a complement of
woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. From Mozart to
marches, ballads to big band, show tunes to specialty numbers,
the band encourages interest in and appreciation for all types
of music.
The Band has performed
for social and civic organizations, community activities, conventions,
and charitable causes in the Bay Area. Especially popular with
audiences are the patriotic concerts for Memorial Day, the Fourth
of July parade, and our Christmas performances. Some of the
Band's regular clients include Los Gatos Memorial Park, San
Jose's Metropolitan Adult Education Program (MAEP), and EMQ
Families First.
The SJMB is a California
non-profit public benefit corporation with both Internal Revenue
Service and Franchise Tax Board exemption rulings. The corporation's
fiscal year is September 1 through August 31. Operating
expenses include music purchases, concert hall rental, insurance,
conductor fees, marketing, etc. These expenses are offset by
concert fees, grants, member dues and fund raisers. The conductor
and concert master serve as independent contractors to the corporation
and as advisors to the the Board of Directors. Copies of SJMB
exemption letters are available from the band's Treasurer upon
request.
The San Jose Metropolitan
Band is proud to be of service to the communities of the
Silicon Valley and surrounding areas. Contact information can
be found on our Contact page.
Our Director
- Gregory Bergantz
Mr. Bergantz was appointed
music director of the San Jose Metropolitan Band in 1991. Prior
to that, Mr. Bergantz guest conducted the South Valley Symphony,
the San Jose Symphony Youth Orchestras, the Glendale Symphony
Youth Orchestra, and over sixty chamber orchestra performances
in Los Angeles. As a graduate student, Mr. Bergantz studied
conducting at the University of Southern California with Maestro
Daniel Lewis, the Institute of Orchestral Conducting with Maestro
Herbert Blomstedt, and the Chigiana Music Festival in Siena,
Italy, with Maestro Franco Ferrara.
As a free-lance trombonist
in the Bay Area, Mr. Bergantz performs regularly with the Oxford
Brass, several local symphonies and bands, and occasionally,
as a featured soloist with the SJMB.
As the music director
of the San Jose Metropolitan Band, Mr. Bergantz is known for
programming concerts that provide a little something for everyone:
Marches, Waltzes, Patriotic favorites, Big Band medleys, show
tunes, film scores, as well as standard Military and Concert
Band repertoire. The band's musical versatility makes each performance
a memorable experience.
Our Purpose
The following is from
the "Bylaws of San Jose Metropolitan Band, A California
Public Benefit Corporation, Article 2, Purposes."
