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• Monday, September 07, 2026

  Band of the Tonawandas Wins National Concert Band Contest

  
  American Legion Band of the Tonawandas, sponsored by Post 264 in Tonawanda, N.Y. again took the national championship in the 2026 National Convention Concert Band Contest held Aug. 29 at Louisville’s Kentucky International Exposition Center. This marks the band’s 24th national championship.

  The internationally traveled band performed:

  • “Esprit de Corps” by Robert Jager, commissioned in 1984 for the President’s Own Marine band.

  • Official West Point March” by Philip Egner, which at one point included most of the band’s members singing along.

  • “Danza Symphonica” by James Barnes

  Judges gave the Band of the Tonawandas a top score of 95.33.

  Joliet (Ill.) American Legion Band, sponsored by St. Joseph’s Park Post 1080, took second place with a score of 92.83.

  American Legion Band of Greater Kansas City, sponsored by Dwight Cowles Post 370 in Overland Park, Kan., scored 88.83 for third place.

  Photo by Jennifer Blohm/The American Legion