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U.S. Navy Concert Band Performing in Rochester and Greece

The United States Navy Concert Band will perform two concerts in the Rochester area as part of its 2026 Northeast tour, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The first is Sunday, February 22, at 4 p.m. at The Hochstein School, 50 North Plymouth Avenue, Rochester. Then on Monday, February 23, they will perform at 7 p.m. at the Greece Performing Arts Center, 800 Long Pond Road, Rochester. Both concerts are free and open to the public.

The family-friendly concerts are designed to connect the community with its Navy. The program features a broad selection of musical works, from American classics to contemporary pieces. Selections include works by John Williams, Joseph Turrin, Alberto Ginastera, John Philip Sousa, and Aaron Copland.

One of the U.S. Navy Band’s primary responsibilities involves touring the country, bringing the Navy where ships can’t go, telling the Navy story, instilling pride and patriotism, and representing the professionalism of hundreds of thousands of Sailors and Navy civilians serving around the world 24/7. 

“Touring the nation and performing concerts means connecting with communities and telling the great stories of our Sailors working around the globe to keep us safe and free,”  

said Captain Robert “Seph” Coats, commanding officer of the U.S. Navy Band.  

Reserve tickets online at https://www.navyband.navy.mil/events/tour/concert-band-2026. Ticketholders must be seated at least 15 minutes prior to the concert, at which time any unclaimed seats will be given to non-ticketholders.

Quick Facts  

  • Almost all of the Sailors in the Navy Band have undergraduate degrees in music, and most have graduate degrees.   
  • The U.S. Navy Band is the flagship musical organization of the Navy and one of 11 Navy bands located around the world.  
  • The U.S. Navy Band is based at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.
  •  The Navy Band has been touring the country since 1925.  
  • There are six performing ensembles in the Navy Band: the Concert Band, Ceremonial Band, Sea Chanters chorus, Commodores jazz ensemble, Country Current country/bluegrass ensemble, and the Cruisers popular music group.  
  • Ensembles from the Navy Band tour nationally for 12 to 15 weeks each year. Sailors in the Navy Band are full-time professional musicians. 

Provided information and photo

Chief Musician Bill Edwards, from Bowie, Md., sings with the U.S. Navy Concert Band at Pittsburg State University during the band’s 2023 national tour spanning six states, sixteen cities and 3200 miles. National tours allow the U.S. Navy Band to connect with Americans across the country, representing the pride and professionalism of the more than 325,000 active duty Sailors serving around the globe keeping the sea lanes open for trade, deterring adversaries, and protecting the security interests of the United States and its allies.

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