The Sudler Silver Scroll
An International Award
recognizing Community Concert Bands
of Outstanding Musical Excellence

North America's most prestigious award for community concert bands is named after Chicago real estate magnate Louis C. Sudler, a patron of the arts who founded the John Philip Sousa Foundation. The John Philip Sousa Foundation is a publicly supported, educational foundation established for the purpose of organizing, sponsoring and administering projects contributing to the excellence of bands and band music throughout the world by recognizing excellence in its many forms wherever it may be found.

PURPOSE

To identify, recognize and honor those community bands that have demonstrated particularly high standards of excellence in concert activities over a period of several years, and which have played a significant and leading role, year after year, in the cultural and musical environment of their respective communities. 

PROCEDURE

Nominations will be received from any source and at any time. The nominations may be sent to the President of the Sousa Foundation or to the Sudler Scroll Chair. An Official Application will be forwarded to the director of the band nominated and the chairman will bring the completed applications to the annual meeting of the selection committee which takes place each year in December at the Mid-West International Band Clinic in Chicago. There is no specific number of community bands that can be honored each year. 

CRITERIA

The band must have achieved and maintained particularly high standards of excellence in concert performance and have selected a high level of musical literature over a period of years.  The conductor must be incumbent in their position for a minimum of five years including the current year.  The band must have a demonstrated record of contributing significantly to the high standards of cultural  environment in its community both by its performances and by involving a high percentage of community residents as performers.

Recipients of the Sudler Silver Scroll