The Chautauqua Community Band holds their annual Old First Night concert Aug. 5, 2025, on Bestor Plaza.
ROCCO PRIOLETTI
Staff Writer
152 years later, after Chautauqua’s opening moment underneath a blanket of stars, Chautauquans are united yet again to celebrate the occasion. At 12:30 p.m. today, Aidan Chamberlain will conduct the Chautauqua Community Band for its annual Old First Night celebration on Bestor Plaza.
Like the band’s first performance of the season celebrating July 4, the Old First Night concert will provide an environment for Chautauquans to come together during lunchtime and share an experience of live, community-rooted music. For Chamberlain, it is an opportunity to enjoy a picnic and listen to a variety of music from a variety of people.
“We’ve got some people that are just here for a week. Some are here for the summer. Some are perhaps music teachers that live in the area,” Chamberlain said. “It’s a whole variety of people and we’ve got a wide variety of music.”
From college fight songs to Billy Joel, or “West Side Story” to a suite of English folk songs — the Chautauqua Community Band will bring something for everyone.
“I just really enjoy meeting the wide variety of people here through the bands. It’s called the Community Band — and that’s really what it is — because you meet a wide variety, a whole community of people, you know?” Chamberlain said. “That’s really been great for me to meet so many people from different walks of life.”
The Chautauqua Community Band will showcase the compositional talent from a member of their own; clarinetist Scott Whittington’s original piece titled “Musical Mashup” will be featured during today’s performance.
Chamberlain has directed and conducted the two annual Community Band performances since 2023. He succeeded Jason Weintraub, who founded the band in 1990. Weintraub led the community performances until his passing in November 2022.
Upon stepping into the role, Chamberlain described continuing the tradition as being “big shoes to fill.”
“36 years ago, [Weintraub] started it, and it’s just grown since then. It’s become a real tradition, you know? People keep coming back for that,” Chamberlain said.
