Atlanta Concert Band Celebrates Jewish Music

Carnegie Hall must have been “green with envy” on Sunday, Nov. 1, as The Atlanta Concert Band brought a rich musical tradition to Temple Emanu-El with its fourth annual concert, a free performance celebrating contributions of Jewish composers and the connections between music, culture, and community.

The drama of the sanctuary, the stone walls, the acoustics brought magnificent percussion, stirring strings, the forces of more renown orchestras, to Dunwoody. This was no “local-feeling” production. The approximately 65-member community ensemble drew a record crowd, under the sponsorship of Ann and Marvin Goldstein. This year’s concert featured the world premiere of “Reach for the Stars,” a new composition by Canadian Jewish composer Itamar Danziger, who flew here to experience its performance.

Under the direction of Paul Scanling, the program spanned contemporary composition, American standards, Broadway and orchestral music. Scanling said that he was only the band’s fourth music director since 1958. Danziger’s “Reach for the Stars” was a centerpiece, underscoring the continuing vitality of Jewish creativity. The program also included “If You Believe,” an Israeli song, alongside works by two of America’s most influential Jewish composers, Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein. Copland’s “Variations on a Shaker Melody” demonstrated the musical language that helped define American classical sound. Bernstein’s “Candide” and “Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront” highlighted the composer’s deft movement between concert hall, Broadway, and cinema. Next was poised Cantorial Soloist Jessica Tillem, whose repertoire included “Over the Rainbow,” “Blue Moon,” “Stardust,” and “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin,’” familiar American standards.

The musicians shared personal histories with the AJT. Attorney Sandra Cuttler, on clarinet, traced her connection to music to childhood performances with her family. “Some of my happiest memories are of playing clarinet in our family band, strengthening our bonds. Music was an important part of our family life, playing Yiddish music, popular music, and jazz for my grandparents … as a way to connect with my grandmother, who loved music and didn’t read English.”

Cuttler continued playing through school and music camp, later performing with friends in college and graduate school, including a Polish polka band in Philadelphia and a community concert band in Denver. After graduating from Georgia State’s College of Law, she joined the Atlanta Concert Band. A fellow musician subsequently recruited her to the Roswell New Horizons Band, where she has played for four years. She related, “There’s a lot of camaraderie in a band. Playing clarinet has enriched my life.” Citing Albert Einstein, an amateur violinist and pianist, “I get most joy in life out of music.”

Bass clarinetist Mark Lesser’s musical education began with piano lessons at 4, but Hebrew school eventually took priority. At 10, he joined his school band as an alto saxophonist, later moving to baritone saxophone. At Georgia Tech, he played tenor saxophone in both marching and concert bands. After years away from music, he returned to bass clarinet with the Atlanta Concert Band, where he has performed for 25 years. Following retirement from a career as an electrical and software engineer, Lesser also joined the Atlanta New Horizons Band. He said, “I consider myself a very average musician, but I love playing, which reaches a different part of my brain than other activities.”

For Joel Margolies, 80, a semi-retired chiropractor who plays French horn, the concert’s focus on Jewish composers is meaningful. His background includes studies at the Manhattan School of Music, service with the U.S. Army Band, and performances with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra (1972-75). He was also a member of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra for 40 years. In 2026, Margolies expanded his musical commitments to include the Alpharetta and Roswell concert bands, as well as the Alpha Brass and Roswell Brass Quintet. “I’m excited the Atlanta Concert Band highlighted Jewish master composers. Maybe 80 percent of Broadway musicals, both lyrics and music, have been written or produced by Jews. We have a rich history within the arts, especially music. Bernstein and Copland have left a huge imprint within both musicals, ballets, and symphonies that have also been arranged for bands,” he stated.

Cymbals clashed, the black-clad musicians were on cue. The music soared.