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From River City and Manhattan to the big-top and the opera, the Naperville Municipal Band will be showcasing music from stage and screen at its Winter Concert at 3 p.m. March 20 at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville.

“There is so much really good music out there — it is always a challenge to put together an entertaining and varied program,” said Conductor and Music Director Ron Keller. “I try to pick so there is something there for all listeners.”

The concert opens with “76 Trombones” from the 1957 Broadway hit “The Music Man” by Meredith Willson followed by highlights from the 1960 film “Exodus” soundtrack by Ernest Gold.

Assistant Conductor René Rosas will lead “Northern Shaanxi Feeling,” a French horn concerto, featuring Nicholas Lambert, the band’s first-chair horn player.

The next number is a waltz from the 1962 biographical movie “Stars and Stripes Forever” about composer and band leader John Philip Sousa.

“It was written by Josef Strauss and arranged for me by William Jastrow, a close friend who taught at Neuqua Valley High School,” Keller said.

Following is “Dazzling Drums” a snare drum duet showcasing Tom Scarborough and Anthony Pelligrini, two members of the band’s percussion section.

Assistant Conductor Emily Binder will lead “La Tregenda” from the 1884 opera “Le Villi” by Giacomo Puccini as well as “Somewhere” from the venerable 1957 musical “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein.

The concert wraps up with selections from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 musical “Phantom of the Opera” arranged by Warren Barker followed by “Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite” march by Karl King featured in the 1952 movie “The Greatest Show on Earth.”

“As is usual, there is something on the program for all who like variety,” Keller said. “The music is challenging, but most appealing is the audience will recognize most of the melodies.”

This year the Naperville Municipal Band will be celebrating its 163rd birthday. Yes, 163 years.

“When the band was formed, Naperville was 28 years old,” Keller said. “We’ve been a part of the city for a long, long time.”

Over the decades, the band has performed under five different names, landing on its current moniker in 1931.

“The band grew right along with the town,” he said. “The musicality of the band continues to grow.”

In addition to playing concerts, parades, holidays and festivals, the band also has welcomed soldiers home from war at the train station and played at memorials.

Keller is marking his 56th year as conductor. He first joined the band in 1953 as a freshman in high school, playing the tuba. His great-grandfather led the band in the 1870s, and his parents both played in the band.

“I grew up in the band,” Keller said. “It was always my dream to be director.”

In addition to Keller, more than 18 members have served in the band for a half-century or more, including four current members of the 72-piece band.

“All I know I was following a love,” Keller said. “And I still love it.”

Naperville Municipal Band’s Winter Concert

Where: Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville

Jen Banowetz is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.