HOMECOMING QueenCityFreedomBand
Featuring Soloist & QCFB co-founder
The QCFB is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding.
Russ Zokaites
Bass Trombone
The Queen City Freedom Band
Flute
Amy Dennison
Silas Duncan
Jen Melms-Kane
Emery Lu
Jamie Merz
Esther Pittinger
Laura Sink
Sami Stewart
Al White*
Oboe
Tori Stewart
Clarinet
Adrienne Banzhof
Stephen J. Brown
Heather Cole
Bryan Evans
Jamie Evans
Erryn Goods
Lisa Holt
Bonnie Hugus
Jessie Keller
Emily Lloyd
Alex Nash
Samantha Searls*
Alex Shearer
Krista Swegheimer
CJ Vanderpool
Paul Vickous+
Bass Clarinet
Mya Banks
Contrabass Clarinet
Denny Simpson
Alto Saxophone
Ashton Boggs
Danielle Bowen
Justin Broyles
Phil Casperson
Ashley Evans
Sky Ferguson
Fred Martens
Anthony Poly
Carla Rubio
Tenor Saxophone
Christopher Fisher*
Baritone Saxophone
Teckla Dando
Michael Kleimeyer
French Horn
Lauren Haack
Nix Ingram
Kat Magnone
Barbara Phillips
Marshall Verbsky
Trumpets
Nate Banzhof
Luke Cassell
J.M. Bunny Driscoll
MM Wagner Jamison
Steve Joos
Morgan Miller
Christopher Sherrard
John Spalding
Antiphonal Trumpet
Colleen Gorski
PJ Layne
Jack Obermeyer
Nathan Top
Gary Wooley
Trombone
Matt Gardner*
Nick Meiners
Gus Shoemaker
Ruth Williams
Bass Trombone
Jessie Moreland
Euphonium
Pathy Stone Asobo
Bill Baker
Nicholas Gesell
Amanda Havens
Olivia Landers
Tuba Adam Case
Chrissy Hutzel
Kate Poppenhagen
Percussion
Stacey Lane
Hannah Lewallen
Jeff Martin*
Ian Meiman
Alynn Rousselle+
Luisa Ruge-Jones
Jackson Weber*
Bass Guitar
Bill Reid
*Denotes board member
+Denotes asst. conductor
PROGRAM
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Christ Church Cathederal 3:00 pm
Homecoming Shapiro
Dum Spiro Spero Pilsner
Bone Slayer Gilroy Russ Zokaitas, bass trombone
Ohio Premiere
INTERMISSION
In the Hall of the Mountain King arr. Geldard Russ Zokaitas, bass trombone
John and Jim Cuong
Cincinnati Premiere
Co-commisioned with Columbus Pride band to honor 10 years of marriage equality
ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE
The Queen City Freedom Band is Cincinnati’s LGBTQ concert band. Now in our seventh season, the QCFB presents several community-based concerts per year at venues throughout the city. In the spring of 2018, the QCFB was recognized nationally by the Pride Bands Alliance (PBA) as a “band in formation” and welcomed into that organization by a unanimous vote of its membership. In 2022, the QCFB was welcomed as a full member, again by a unanimous vote. The Queen City Freedom Band provides for the education and musical development of its members and community, presents music based programs for public benefit and for charitable purposes, promotes the LGBT+ community and their allies, and builds understanding between LGBTQ+ and other communities.
Dr. Jon Noworyta
Dr. Jon Noworyta is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Queen City Freedom Band, a position he has held since 2018. He is also Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands, Instrumental Activities, and Educational Outreach at the University of Indianapolis.
There, he administers all aspects of the woodwind, brass, and percussion area, teaches basic and advanced conducting, courses in music education, and conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Pep Band, and opera. A versatile conductor who is equally comfortable with orchestras as well as wind and brass groups, Noworyta is the Crossroads Brass Band and the former Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra.
Ensembles under his direction regularly perform at local, state, national, and international venues with notable performances having taken place the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the Music for All National Festival, Chicago’s Symphony Center, the Kennedy Center, and most notably, Carnegie Hall.
Noworyta’s professional affiliations (present and past) have included the NAFME, CBDNA, WASBE, NABBA, NBA, Pride Bands Alliance, GLSEN, the Conductors Guild, and the Indiana, Illinois, New York (NYSSMA) and Ohio Music Educators Associations.
Noworyta holds degrees from Baldwin-Wallace College (BME), Northwestern University (MM), and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (DMA). Additional studies in conducting have taken place in workshops at the Eastman School of Music, the New England Conservatory, and the Juilliard School.
Russ Zokaites is a founding member of the Queen City Freedom Band and has had a diverse career as a musician and trombonist.
His performance credits include recording the Fuchs Bass Trombone Concerto with the United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” performances with the Dayton Philharmonic, Fresno Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic (Norway), The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, and live on Netherlands Radio 4.
He has performed with many great musicians including Joseph Alessi and YouTube Star Christopher Bill. In 2014, Zokaites recorded the #1 pop hit in the Netherlands with the band Sunday Sun. Zokaites has collaborated with over 47 composers including Grammy Award-winning Kenneth Fuchs, American Prize winner Martin Hebel, and Inez McComas.
Dr. Zokaites keeps an active schedule as a guest performer giving recitals at such schools as the Manhattan School of Music, New York University, and the 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, and 2018 International Trombone Festivals.
Dr. Russ Zokaites
Special Guest
Jim Obergefell
JimObergefell,thenamedplaintifffromthelandmarkmarriageequality case Obergefell v. Hodges, is a speaker on LGBTQ+ equality and civil rights represented by Keppler Speakers.
He co-founded Equality Vines, the first cause-based wine label, to support organizations devoted to equality for all. Jim is President of the WebQ Board of Directors, and he sits on advisory boards for the GLBT Historical Society and Mattachine Society of Washington, DC. Jim is a past SAGE board member and former Family Equality staff member.
Jim co-authored the book Love Wins, published by William Morrow, and hehaswrittenbookforewords,chapters,andafterwordsaswellasessays and op-Eds. He is also a producer on the in-development documentary series Just Married.
Jim has previously had careers as a high school German teacher, corporate trainer, relationship manager, software education consultant, and real estate agent.
Born and raised in Sandusky, OH, Jim returned to his hometown after living in Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; and Washington, DC. In his free time, Jim enjoys photography, travel, choral singing, reading, and art museums.
THANK YOU
The Queen City Freedom Band would like to thank everyone for coming. It is truly a joy to perform for you.
The QCFB is small non-profit organization that relies primarily on donations for our funding. While our concerts are free to the public, there are many costs that go into each one.
To ensure our continued growth, as well as our long term sustainability, we have recently launched a more organized fundraising effort. We would like to thank and recognize those donors as well.
Institutional Donors
Gold Level ($1,000+) ISQCCBE
The Leugers-Tierney Group
Silver Level ($500-$999)
Christ Church Cathederal
Cincinnati Pride
Individual Donors
Whole Note ($1,000+)
Jackson Weber
Half Note ($500+)
Jeff Martin
Matt Gardner
Treble Clef ($100+)
Amanda Havens
Justin Jodrey
Patrick Cordero
Steven Cogorno
Quarter Note ($250+)
Steve Joos
Anonymous &
Anonymous
Bass Clef ($50+)
J.M. Bunny Driscoll
Shelby Burton
Monthly Sustaining Donors
* Jackson Weber * Dana Noeske * Samantha Searls *
If you would like to contribute to our continued growth please scan the QR code to the left or contact Jackson Weber at fundraising@qcfb.org Multiple sponsorship levels are available.
Join us on Sunday, June 29th at 5:00 pm for a Pride Liturgy celebration. Bishop Kristin White will be presiding over the service that while highlight the Christ Church Cathedral Choir and other guests. Mary Louise (Mel) Bringle, Professor of Philosophy and Religion Chair of the Humanities Division at Brevard College, and world-renowned poet will be helping to pen the liturgy. Don’t miss this powerful and inclusive event.
The commissioning of John and Jim was made possible in large part by a generous grant from Scrap It Up. This was a joint commission with the Columbus Pride Bands for the 2024 Pride Bands Alliance National Conference held in Columbus, OH
www.raymondjames.com/theleugerstierneygroup