For over 125 years, the City of Perth Band has entertained people in WA and beyond, transitioning from a small group of players to a multi-disciplined organisation with 70+ members. Find out more about our long-standing history.
In 1895, a musician named Harry Piper came with his parents and brothers to Perth from Tasmania. Piper was a member of the Latrobe Federal Band, and on arrival in Perth formed a small band at the Perth Wesley Church. From there, he is credited with forming the City of Perth Band, which was then just a brass band.
Twice in its long life, the band has been employed as a Regimental Army Band for Citizens Military Units; first in the very early 1900s and again just prior to the Second World War.
Under many distinguished and long serving conductors, the Brass Band enjoyed success in regional and national competitions but stopped competing in 1991 to concentrate on concert programmes for public performance.
In 1994, a junior training band was established to encourage more school leavers to continue playing music into adulthood. Though originally this band was aimed at brass instrument players, the popularity of the ensemble and the diversity of players meant that this developed into a Concert Band in 1996.
Three young musicians, James Chong, Ross Sandrock and Raul Torres Jr., formed the Marching Corps, which began performing in 2013. This modern ensemble soon found its place in Perth, and was contracted to perform at the Wildcats basketball games, West Coast Eagles, Western Force rugby games and other events throughout the city.
In 2015 the Brass Band and Concert Band began to compete at band contests again, and both ensembles now compete in the State Band Championships each year.
The City of Perth Band in its current iteration operates as a not-for-profit organisation comprising the Brass Band and Concert Band as its two main performance ensembles.