Our History

The City of Fairfax Band began in the summer of 1969 when Matt Hynes, who was then band director at Fairfax High School, did the recruiting and held rehearsals for a concert on the steps of the Fairfax City Hall. That successful first concert led to a second, under the leadership of Philip Fuller, music supervisor for Fairfax County Public Schools and former Fairfax High School band director. The momentum of those first two summer seasons led to the decision to go year-round starting with the City Band’s third year of existence. Leadership passed to Dr. Thomas Hill, whose talents would lead the Band to become the strong organization it is today.

In 1974, regular season concerts were established in the Fairfax High School auditorium, a tradition which continues to this day. The City Band’s schedule now covers some 20 concerts each year.

As the City Band’s size and ability grew, so did its reputation. In 1981, Virginia Governor Dalton selected the Band to perform in concert at opening ceremonies for the Yorktown (Virgina) Bicentennial Celebration, an event attended by 19,000 people. The week-long schedule included performances by other noted musical groups such as the elite French Marine Band, the Premiere Staff Band of the German Army, a British Army Band from Wales, and the United States Army and Coast Guard Bands. In the Northern Virginia and other Greater Washington metropolitan areas, the City of Fairfax Band has accepted invitations to perform at an expanding list of civic and community functions. Large audiences have heard the Band play at Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Washington, D.C. Convention Center, and the annual Independence Day Celebration in Fairfax.

In addition to the City Band’s growing number of invitations to perform at a variety of cultural venues, the Band takes great pride in its Guest Artist series. In April 1989, at the Spotlight On The Arts concert, the Band was honored to have as guest vocalist Dr. William Warfield, internationally known baritone soloist and star of Porgy and Bess and Show Boat . In May 1989, the City Band was also invited, along with the Fairfax Choral Society and the City Band’s Fairfax Swing Band, to open the 1989 Summer Season at Wolf Trap. Vocalist Margie Johnson sang with the Swing Band, which also backed up the well-known area vocal duo, “David and Dorothy”. In May 1991, the Band featured the internationally renowned tubist, Harvey Phillips, in a performance of Helix, written by Warren Benson for Mr. Phillips. In March 1996, Steven Hendrickson, Principal Trumpet with the National Symphony Orchestra, was the City Band’s guest soloist for the Concerto for Trumpet and Symphonic Band by Alexander Arutunian.

With its season-filled programs and Guest Artist series, the City of Fairfax Band has also participated in a number of convention-related performances. In 1989, the City Band was privileged to receive an invitation to perform at the 28th International Geological Congress in July at the Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Approximately 8,000 delegates from around the world were there, with President Bush serving as Honorary Chairman. Over the 1989 Memorial Day weekend, the Band performed at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor as part of the holiday celebration, and returned for the summer closing on Labor Day weekend. In October 1989, the Band was invited to perform with the Mormon Choir of Washington at the National Republican Women’s Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, at which Vice-President Quayle was the guest speaker. In July 1990, the City Band gave a dinner concert for the Korean War Veterans Association’s convention at the Sheraton International Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

In May 1994, Dr. Tom Hill retired, and Robert Pouliot was appointed the Band’s Music Director and Conductor.

In 1996, the City Band was honored with an invitation to perform, on June 14 of that year, at the National Band Association Convention in New Orleans. The NBA is the largest band association in the world, with chapters in the United States and eleven other countries. Each year, one community band in the nation is invited to play at this prestigious event before an audience of school, college, service, and community band directors and band music lovers. The City Band was joined by the National Community Honors Band, made up of top amatuer musicians from across the U.S., invited university and high school concert bands, and the host for the 1996 convention — The United States Marine Band (“The President’s Own”), Washington, D.C. Highlights of the City Band’s program for this event included a performance of the original, unpublished version of John Barnes Chance’s Incantation and Dance, restoring 30 measures which make a more meaningful transition to the climax of the Dance, and Colonel John R. Bourgeois (Ret.), former Director of the United States Marine Band and Music Advisor to the White House, guest conducted Robert Jager’s Esprit de Corps.

On the educational front, the Association began an annual Young Artist Competition to encourage the development of stand-out high school musicians who plan to pursue a musical career. The winner of the annual competition is the featured guest soloist at the April concert and is given a financial award of $2,000 in support of future music endeavors.

To be eligible, the student must be a junior or senior enrolled in a band or orchestra program in a northern Virginia high school.

In April 2002, the City Band hosted the annual national convention of the Association of Concerts Bands. The convention was attended by over 500 community musicians from around the country. Visiting bands which performed during the convention included the Rockville (MD) Concert Band, the Denver (CO) Concert Band, the Midland (MI) Concert Band, and the Chesapeake Silver Cornet Brass Band (DE). In addition, an ACB Convention Band, consisting of convention attendees, performed, and a special appearance was made by the United States Army Band (“Pershing’s Own”). Appearing with the City Band during its convention concert was, once again, Steven Hendrickson, Principal Trumpet with the National Symphony Orchestra, performing Excursions for Trumpet and Band by Bruce Broughton.

The City of Fairfax Band is unique in maintaining high musical standards while remaining open for membership to qualified players. Musicians of the Band continue to apply their talents and musical energy toward the goal of performance excellence both individually and as a team for their community. In serving that goal, we are rewarded by great enjoyment in making music that brings pleasure and enrichment to expanding audiences in a growing community.

In recognition of achieving that goal over the course of many years, The City of Fairfax Band was awarded the Sudler Silver Scroll for 2004 by The John Philip Sousa Foundation. The Sudler Silver Scroll is regarded as North America’s most prestigious award for community concert bands. The 2004 Award was presented to the band by guest conductor Keith Brion during our March 19, 2005 concert.

The City of Fairfax Band issued its first CD recording since 1996. Titled “Made In America,” the digital album is a tribute by Fairfax Band to the spirit and heritage of American music, presenting recordings of original band music by Aaron Copland, Robert Russell Bennett, James Barnes, Claude T. Smith, Samuel Barber, Jerry Brubaker, and Virginia Wayland, including Brubaker’s stately, tense, and optimistic piece Thine Alabaster Cities Gleam and Ms. Wayland’s City of Fairfax March, our city’s official march tune. The disk features music arranged for concert band by Frank Ticheli, Michael Buckley, John Krance, and Fairfax Band music director Robert Pouliot.

The City of Fairfax Band Association added a new community concert band specially organized for former players looking to get back into band music after a few years — or several, or many — away from their instruments, The new Main Street Community Band clicked right away, rapidly attracting a critical mass of re-emerging musicians who quickly got back in the groove of playing band music, along with other talented musicians looking for the opportunity to play in a good band. The new group performed its first concert at the April Prisms Concert.

Leader of the Main Street Community Band is Geoffrey K. Seffens, a retired Fairfax County Public Schools music teacher and band director, and a former member of the City of Fairfax Band. A native of the City of Fairfax, Mr. Seffens graduated from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and served 28 years as band director at Sidney Lanier Intermediate School. He is a member of several professional societies and has performed extensively in and around the Washington area as a trumpeter and ensemble conductor.

The City of Fairfax Band marked completion of its 40th concert season with a gala concert in June, presented in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association. The performance was not only a fundraiser for that organization, but (in the 1st half of the concert) a moving testimonial to the human toll of Alzheimer’s disease, rendered
musically in Mark Camphouse’s major concert piece titled The Shining City, a work for band, with narration, based on selections from speeches by President Ronald Reagan, concluding with an excerpt from President Reagan’s letter of farewell when he retired from public life because he himself became afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. Narrator for the performance was Hon. Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House.

After intermission, the mood on stage was lighter and brighter as our guest  Broadway artists brought down the house with an exciting and wildly popular evening of Broadway musical favorites. Bravo Broadway! has been performed with orchestras all over the world, and has played to acclaim from audiences and critics alike.Bravo
Broadway! is a unique evening of famous Broadway songs that are usually performed with symphony orchestra. The show’s presentation at the City of Fairfax Band 40th anniversary gala was the first time Bravo Broadway! has ever been performed with concert band.

The association took another big step as both a musical and educational organization when it launched the Northern Virgninia Youth Winds and the youth division of the City of Fairfax Band Association.

NVYW is comprised of high school woodwind, brass and percussion students selected by competitive audition. Under the direction of Denny Stokes, NVYW supports instrumental music students, music teachers and the local music community by

• Providing high quality musical training and educational opportunities for young musicians

• Providing additional, supplemental performance opportunities for advanced students

• Expanding student access to advanced wind repertoire

• Supporting the educational mission of high school band programs, their directors, students and families

• Strengthening the bonds of musicianship, friendship and common experience for music students across the region

• Serving as another musical voice, with a regional perspective, for the protection, preservation and advancement of music education in Northern Virginia

All high school students (grades 9-12) who are members in good standing in their school band programs are eligible to audition for NVYW. The success and popularity of the NVYW lead to the creation of the Northern Virginia Junior Winds (NVJW). NVJW  provides similar musical opportunities to middle school students.

November 1, 2014, is declared “City of Fairfax Band Day” in the City of Fairfax in recognition of CFB’s 45th Anniversary.

The City of Fairfax Band visits France to perform in Normandy and Paris. In Normandy. The band provides the music for one of the year’s most significant observances of D-Day (June 6, 1944): the commemoration and wreath laying at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, which overlooks historic Omaha Beach. Please watch this video to learn more about this special trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1jGIXLeckQ.

In June 2024, Robert Pouliot retired and Dereck Scott was appointed the Band’s Music Director and Conductor.

In June 2025, Jeff Seffens retired and Henry Heidtmann was appointed the Director of the Main Street Community Band.