205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
On July 22, 2014 the Ellensburg Big Band traveled on an exchange to Sanda City, Japan to hold a music concert for the entertainment, education and enjoyment for the community members of our Sister City.
The band featured music from the Glen Miller and Count Basie Bands, as well as a wide variety of jazz standards and modern styles. The band members stayed with host families during their visit. Members of the Ellensburg Big Band who traveled to Sanda City on the exchange were: Bruce Herman, Jim Hurson, Joel Talerico, Linda Talerico, Jeannie Wolf, Zach Fogle, Rick Sader, Vicki Jones, Terry Johnson, Erich Mietenkorte, Christopher Pratt-Bennett, Beserat "Bezzy" Tafesse, Joshua Parrill, Brian Lawrence, Adam Robb, Tony Swartz, David Owens, David Hoffman, Don May, Chris Hull, Matt Carstens and Brian Bernethy.
Sanda City provided exceptional opportunities for sightseeing around their beautiful city including visiting a temple, partaking in a traditional tea ceremony and visiting the Kirin Beer Park. The group was also honored at a couple of receptions where they enjoyed delicious food and meeting new friends. A few members of the Ellensburg Big Band met with the Mayor of Sanda City and learned a great deal from each other. The highlight of the trip was providing instruction and playing alongside the Sanda Junior Band (junior high students) and performing in front of 1,000 people at a packed concert hall.
