Bass-baritone William Powers, who has performed more than 100 operatic roles on stages from the Metropolitan Opera to Buenos Aires, will sing popular standards from American musicals with the Wheaton Municipal Band on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Park.

The free outdoor concert is the band's seventh of its 97th season. Attendees can bring lawn chairs and a picnic, or buy popcorn and ice cream from the Friends of the Wheaton Municipal Band.

Powers, a Barrington resident and Chicago native, made his New York City Opera debut in 1972 and has sung nearly 200 productions in six languages across opera houses in Prague, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, and Lisbon, among others. He created the role of Meyer Wolfsheim in the world premiere of John Harbison's "The Great Gatsby" at the Met and performed in Penderecki's "Paradise Lost" for Chicago's Lyric Opera. His mentors included opera legends George London and Norman Treigle.

"This easier pace is a welcome reprieve from earlier days when it was a non-stop, high-powered life between unending airports and engagements," Powers told the Chicago Tribune in March 2020, describing his shift toward community performances and teaching.

The 89-piece concert band, directed by Bruce Moss, rehearses new music each Wednesday for its Thursday performance, according to the band's website. The Patch AM newsletter described Thursday's program as mixing patriotic works, an Elizabethan suite, and popular standards from musicals.

Memorial Park is at 225 Karlskoga Ave. in downtown Wheaton. Parking is available at City Hall and the library lot after 5 p.m.

The band's next concert, "WMB at ABA!" on Thursday, July 30, features music performed for the American Bandmasters Association Convention. On Saturday, August 1, the band moves indoors to Edman Chapel for "Stars and Stripes Forever 250!" with narrator Pete Friedmann performing Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" and a gathering of 250-plus piccolo players.

Upcoming community events:

  • Friday, July 24 – Sunday, July 26: Wheaton Sidewalk Sales, all day, downtown Wheaton
  • Saturday, July 25: Wheaton French Market, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., pavilion near Liberty Drive and Main Street
  • Thursday, July 30: Wheaton Municipal Band "WMB at ABA!" concert, 7:30 p.m., Memorial Park
  • Saturday, August 1: WMB "Stars and Stripes Forever 250!" indoor concert, Edman Chapel
  • Tuesday, August 4: National Night Out, 5 to 8 p.m., Northside Park, 1300 N. West St.