Fogelberg Foundation of Peoria
Lawrence P. Fogelberg
On July 27th, Fogelberg Foundation of Peoria invites you to join us as we honor the late Lawrence P. Fogelberg, better known to Dan Fogelberg fans around the world at The Leader of the Band. For many years, our organization has been
searching for a unique and meaningful way to honor Dan's father in his role as a band director. While The Leader of the Band was a deeply personal song from Dan to his father, we wanted to find a way to honor Lawrence Fogelberg in the setting in which he was most comfortable, that being the director's podium in front of a concert band. After all, he was also known as The Leader of the Band to the legions of students that graced his ensembles for 35 years, too.
Robert Sheldon
A couple of years ago, Fogelberg Foundation of Peoria approached world renowned composer, Robert Sheldon about
the idea of commissioning a brand new composition for concert band that would honor not only Lawrence Fogelberg, but also band directors everywhere, past, present and future. Mr. Sheldon is widely regarded as one of the very best, and most performed, wind band composers of our day, and we are thrilled that he agreed to take our idea and create something very special in honor of everyone worthy of being called The Leader of the Band. Mr. Sheldon's personal and professional ties to central Illinois, as well as his lengthy and impressive list of credentials and accomplishments, made him the perfect choice to make our ideas a reality. We are proud to unveil Living Legacy by Robert Sheldon!
Fogelberg Foundation of Peoria is excited to announce that the world premiere of Living Legacy will be performed by one of Lawrence Fogelberg's former ensembles, the Pekin Park Concert Band! During the time period that Lawrence Fogelberg was band director for Pekin Community High School, he spent his Summers directing what was then known as the Pekin Municipal Band. Sunday evening performances in Mineral Springs Park became a time honored tradition that continues to this day under the direction and leadership of Steven Skinner. Composer Robert Sheldon will be in attendance to conduct the performance of his new composition, and the evening will be filled with music and memories of The Leader of the Band. We could think of no better place to host this world premiere, nor could we think of a more appropriate band to be the first to perform Living Legacy.
WORLD PREMIERE!
Sunday, July 27, 2025 at 6:30 PM
The Steven D. Skinner Performing Arts Venue
Mineral Springs Park
1701 Court St. Pekin, IL
Admission for this event is free to everyone, although we strongly encourage donations to the Pekin Park Concert Band be considered. Lawn seating is the order of the day, so please bring along your own lawn chairs or picnic blankets and make yourself comfortable. Some parking is available within the park, however it may be necessary to park on surrounding streets and walk to the performance area. If you or a member of your family or group is in need of special accommodations, please send us an email through the website's Contact tab at least one week prior to the event. In the event of inclement weather or extreme heat, announcements will be made the day of the event for a new location. Please tell everyone you know! See you there!