U.S. Marine Band to perform Thursday at CWU’s Nicholson Pavilion

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - "The President's Own" United States Marine Band will perform at Central Washington University on Thursday, October 3, as part of its 2019 West Coast concert tour.

The event, sponsored by the CWU Department of Music, will be presented from 8-10 p.m. at Nicholson Pavilion. Admission is free, but tickets are required.

The band tours every October and Thursday's performance at CWU will be its second over 29 nights. This month's tour begins Wednesday at the University of Washington, followed by a performance in Everett on Friday. Shows in Milwaukie, Corvallis, Bend, and Eugene, Ore., will follow before the band moves on to California, Nevada, and Arizona. The final performance is scheduled for October 31 at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

The Marine Band is the nation's oldest continuously active professional musical organization. Founded in 1798, the band has performed for every U.S. president since John Adams. Known as "The President's Own" since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the Marine Band's primary mission is to provide music for the president of the United States and the commandant of the Marine Corps.

The tradition of the Marine Band tour began in 1891 under its 17th director, John Philip Sousa. In the style of Sousa, the modern-day director, Col. Jason K. Fettig, delivers a diverse mix of programs, from traditional band repertoire and marches to instrumental solos.

A limited number of seats for Thursday's performance at Nicholson Pavilion are still available at marineband.ticketleap.com.

Doors open at 7:15 p.m. and all seating is general admission. Tickets must be redeemed by 7:45 p.m. Unclaimed seats will be released to standby guests at that time.

Call 202-433-5809 with questions.

Media contact: David Leder, Department of Public Affairs, 509-963-1518, David.Leder@cwu.edu.