SACRAMENTO CAPITOL ORCHESTRA U.S.
The Capitol Pops Concert Band is playing Per-Gunnar Råberg’s music!
For four years now, the music of Per-Gunnar Råberg, Luleå, has been attracting a lot of attention in the United States

Each year, at the end of Sacramento Capitol Orchestra’s concert season you can find PG Råberg`s music represented in a giant concert at Citrus Heights outside of the capitol in Sacramento, Northern California.

In 2008, the musician, composer, and conductor PG Råberg had his march composition “Stratos” on the program. PG Råberg also became an honorary member of the orchestra and was invited to conduct the large orchestra himself. Since then, “Stratos” went on to be a part of the annual program for three consecutive years. In 2011, Råberg was honored to have his composition “Tellus” played as well. Now, in 2012, another of Råberg´s composition, the march “Fo 67 Defense Zone 67” will also be on the program.

Under conductor Jerry Lopes, the orchestra also works with Råberg´s composition “Concerto Grande” in three movements for the accordion and symphony orchestra. In addition, there is another piece, “Summertime play with Angelica” that was specially written and arranged for Capitol’s wood wind group, (the wooden instruments in the orchestra). In 2011, the Clarinet Concerto in A minor emerged in 3 batches for the accordion, symphony orchestra, brass band (also known as band), and soloist.

There is another group that also plays music that has been arranged and composed by PG Råberg, the Flutations of San Diego. The Flutations North and the Flutations South play both classic and modern arrangements of PG’s music.  This fabulous group of six ladies was started by people such as flutist Alice Jacobs Vestergaard PhD, program and lecturer at the College of Arts and Sciences at Ashford University in San Diego, California.

In 2012, the Capitol Pops Concert Band, the Fair Oaks-based band will celebrate its 15th anniversary. The orchestra’s conductor and music director, Jerry Lopes, has been the band’s leader since their first rehearsal on February 6, 1997.

Led by Lopes, the CPCB concerts consist of Broadway show-tunes, movie themes, songs, patriotic songs, old and new popular standards, and marches. Some marches have been composed by PG Råberg of Sweden. For the past two decades, the band has made guest appearances at events and places throughout the Sacramento California area. Some past events include the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee and the annual 4th of July celebration In Roseville’s Royer Park.

There are about 75 musicians who are part of the big orchestra. These musicians span a variety of ages, from students to nonagenarians to a large number of skilled musicians. The concerts also include soloists and singers. A CPCB scholarship fund can provide private music lessons to students of all categories who are interested and qualified.