Connlain to conduct the upcoming Band Community Concert, Cows, Corn & Music (8pm Friday, June 19 at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 678 Portola Dr, San Francisco) and share conducting duties at The Annual “Let’s Get Loud!” Pride Concert (8pm Thursday and Friday June 25 and 26 at First Unitarian Universalist Church).

As the artistic director and band leader of City Swing Big Band since 1996, Connlain is no stranger to the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band. A trumpet and flugelhorn player, he’s been a longtime member of the Band, joining in 1982 and last playing with the group in 1997. Active in the Band’s leadership, Connlain produced several of its concerts in the 1980s, including Playing It Straight (For One Night Only). Connlain served as guest conductor for the band in 2006 for the Dance Along Nutcracker.  Connlain was the 2007-08 recipient of the Band’s Jon Sims Award.

A founding member of City Swing, he served as that band’s first manager for many years, famously hiring Gail Wilson for its first New Year’s gig in 1985, after she debuted as a guest vocalist with City Swing that year at the very first Dance-Along Nutcracker at the Gift Center Pavilion. Connlain’s conducting credits include serving as music director for more than 15 community and college musical theater productions and director of several church choirs, as well as a Sweet Adeline Chapter. Other producing credits include the last Men Behind Bars production, several Hard Candy Christmas productions, the 1988 Gail Wilson in Concert, and the 2006 Gail Wilson Farewell Concert.

A native of New Jersey, Connlain has a degree in music education from Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA. Connlain also performs as lead trumpet with the Contra Costa Jazz Band as well as trumpet features with City Swing.