Pictures from the 2025 ABA Convention, February 26 – March 2, Chattanooga, TN
The American Bandmasters Association, founded in 1929, with John Philip Sousa as Honorary Life President, recognizes outstanding achievement on the part of Concert Band conductors and composers. The current membership (invitational) comprises approximately 300 band conductors and composers in the USA and Canada, and 80 Associate Members (music businesses and corporations that provide significant services to bands and to the publication of band music.)
December Greetings from ABA President Roy Holder
Dear ABA Members and SOs:
First, June and I hope that each of you finds time to relax and enjoy the company of family and friends during this holiday season. As the leadership of the ABA and your Chicago convention hosts continue working in service to this wonderful organization, I am often reminded that it is the opportunity to spend time with this part of our extended family that makes the ABA so special to us. We sincerely hope you will join us in Chicago, March 3–8, 2026, for the next gathering of our ABA family. Convention information is located on our ABA website here.
Here is the Chicago 2026 Convention Registration Form. Please read carefully the descriptions of the various excursions and other activities as there is a wide variety of opportunities. Holding the convention in a major city is expensive at best, but we have worked hard to keep the costs down. Everything from the hotel room rate to a variety of excursion price points and the banquet have been negotiated to your advantage. For example, the banquet meals are now $15-$20 less than the original price and one Saturday excursion can be free of charge if you choose that option. There will be other information forthcoming that will help you with things like parking costs if you need to drive. For now, please review the options and register youself and your guests as soon as possible so that we can start to solidify all the plans. Also, please be sure that you remember to book your Chicago hotel room reservation separately. Many of you have already done this, but booking the hotel soon will help us be sure we have adequate rooms available at the convention rate.
I also want to extend my sincere thanks to Brian and Megan Covey, Scott Casagrande, Alex Kaminsky, and June Holder for the tremendous work they are doing to ensure the success of the Chicago Convention.
If you have not yet visited the ABA website to pay your dues or explore our new donation system, I encourage you to do so—it is remarkably efficient and, frankly, quite clever. To pay your 2026 dues, simply look under the “Members” menu for the “Login / Pay Dues” link. Scroll to the bottom of that page. While you are in the “Members” area, please consider supporting the various projects listed in the “Members: Contribute to ABA” link. If you or your institution are able to assist with any of the activities associated with the Chicago convention, we would be most grateful. Everything—from coffee breaks to receptions—relies on the generosity of our members to bring these events to life.
As a reminder, this year’s Harris Fund outreach focuses on members whose last names begin with A–I, though contributions from all are welcome at any time. The ABA Foundation is likewise always grateful for your support. The donation pages will provide you with an immediate “thank you” and a tax receipt for your records.
There is a lot of information in the convention information links which can be accessed above and below. Enjoy. We look forward to seeing all of you in March!
Roy C. Holder, President
The American Bandmasters AssociationClick on the links below for:
Chicago Convention Information / Register for the Convention / Book Your Hotel Room
ABA Associate Members
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