The Marshall University High School Honor Band Festival will be held February 18-20, 2026. The Honor Band Festival is an event developed for the purpose of recognizing the achievements of exceptional high school musicians and provide an opportunity to work with great guest conductors from around the country and get to know the amazing faculty at Marshall University. Once again, we are thrilled to welcome some outstanding music educators and conductors from around the country.
The Nomination period will open in mid November.
Please note that the cost for this event will be $60/student. Nominations are due by Friday, January 9th. Results will be provided to directors on Wednesday, January 14th.
The weekend includes workshops and master classes with world-renowned musicians, performances by the Marshall Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band, and demonstrations by student ensembles. Participants will submit a video audition and will be placed into one of three honor bands. The weekend will conclude with a concert by all three of the ensembles.
All students must be accompanied by a parent or chaperone for the event.
The Clinicians
Wind Symphony
Mr. Kevin Welborn – The University of Alabama, Associate Director of Bands
Symphonic Band
Ms. Ingrid Larragoity – CEO, El Sistema, Colorado
Concert Band
Dr. Adam Wilke – Director of Bands, James Logan High School
Honor Band Performances and Audience/Ensemble Flow Map
Please check out this flow map for the performances on Friday Feb. 20th. We will be clearing the stage after each performance to rest and allow the next band to come on. At that same time, we will be clearing out the audience as well. This is to ensure that every family member of the students in the ensemble on stage get to be in the auditorium for the performance. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Click here to view the Performance Flow Map.
Step 1: Students are nominated by their director the Honor Band Festival by clicking on this link here. Nominations are due by Friday, January 9th. Directors should be sure to gather their student information before starting the nomination process. Directors should know:
- Student’s full name
- Instrument
- Grade
- Years of Experience
- Previous all-county, all-state, honor band, and/or musical experience/ability.
Directors can use this student information to help gather the necessary information.
Step 2: Results will be provided to directors on Wednesday, January 14th. Students will be accepted based on the recommendation of their director and the instrumentation needs of the ensembles. All students who are accepted to the Honor Band on this date ARE in the Honor Band event.
Step 3: Students wishing to be considered for the Wind Symphony (the top band for the MU Honor Band Festival), must submit a video audition by Friday, January 23rd.
Audition materials are 2 major scales and a short excerpt of 45-60 seconds (of your choice), demonstrating your ability. Percussion students should submit videos for keyboard mallets and snare. These videos are due by Friday, January 23rd. Results will be emailed and posted by or before Monday, February 2nd. You will also receive the music via email to print and pass out to your students. Band and chair placement are based on these audition results. If no audition is submitted, the student can still attend, but will be seated lower than those who do submit a video audition.
The cost of attending the MU Honor Band Festival Band is $60 per student. This covers the cost associated with the clinician, music, materials, as well as a festival t-shirt and certificate. Again, once you receive the list of students who have been accepted to our Honor Band Festival, you may send in one check, made out to “Kappa Kappa Psi,” or you may submit payment online here (link will be made live on January 14th). The registration fee must be paid by a date TBD. If you are going to mail in a payment, you can send it to:
Christopher Schletter
Marshall University
1 John Marshall Dr.
Smith Music Hall, room 130
Huntington, WV 25705
Important Dates
Students wishing to be considered for the Wind Symphony (the top band for the MU Honor Band Festival), must submit a video audition by Friday, January 23rd.
Audition materials are 2 major scales and a short excerpt of 45-60 seconds (of your choice), demonstrating your ability. Percussion students should submit videos for keyboard mallets and snare. These videos are due by Friday, January 23rd. Results will be emailed and posted by or before Monday, February 2nd. You will also receive the music via email to print and pass out to your students. Band and chair placement are based on these audition results. If no audition is submitted, the student can still attend, but will be seated lower than those who do submit a video audition.
Wednesday
1:00 – check-in
2:30 – Required meeting with all students in recital hall
3:00 – Greenbrier East HS & The Marshall University Wind Symphony concert
4:00 – Move to rehearsal area
4:15 – Rehearsals begin
Locations:
- Wind Symphony – Recital Hall
- Symphony Band – 143
- Concert Band – 150
7:00 – rehearsal ends
Thursday
9:00 – Rehearsal begins
12:15 – Lunch
1:45 – Masterclasses for students
2:00 – Clinician Workshop for directors w/Dr. Adam Wilke
2:30 – Student Campus Tour
3:00 – Rehearsal
1:45 – Rehearsal
3:00 – Masterclasses for students
3:15 – Clinician Workshop for directors w/Ms. Ingrid Larragoity
3:45 – Student Campus Tour
4:15 – Rehearsal
1:45 – Rehearsal
4:30 – Masterclasses for students
4:45 – Clinician Workshop for directors w/Mr. Kevin Welborn
5:15 – Student Campus Tour
5:45 – Rehearsal/tour ends, move to Recital Hall
6:00 – Marshall Symphonic Band Concert
7:00 – dinner
Friday
9:00 – Rehearsal (Symphonic Band in Recital Hall)
10:00 – Presentation/Discussion: TBA
12:00 – Lunch
1:30 – Rehearsal (Concert Band in Recital Hall)
3:30 – Rehearsal Ends
4:00 – Hall opens
4:30 – Honor Band Concert Begins
Performance order: Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony
You can find a printable version of the Honor Band Itinerary here.
Marshall School of Music or Athletic Band Auditions
Those who wish to audition for scholarships, entrance into the MU School of Music, and/or tuition waivers for Marching Thunder participation will have an opportunity to do so on Thursday morning during the 9:00 am rehearsal block. Those interested in auditioning to be a music major should contact Dr. Vallejo to schedule a time to audition.
Each student is given a Festival Band certificate and MU Festival Band T-shirt. The MU Chapter of the Society of Composers, Inc. will be recording the concert and offering CDs for $15.00.
Honor Band Sweatshirts
This year we will be offering sweatshirts at $35 each. We do not want you, as band directors, to deal with ordering something else, collecting money, sizes, etc. Please click here to download the pre-order instructions that you can email out to your students and parents. If they decide to purchase a sweatshirt, you will have to do NOTHING!!! The sweatshirts will have the same design as the T-Shirt with the exception being that the back of the sweatshirts will have the names of all the participating High Schools. You will also pick these up upon checking in on the first day of the Honor Band Festival.
Concert Attire
The concert attire for the performance on Friday is concert black or black & white. We would like to display a sense of professionalism at our concert. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance with this.
Meals
All campus dining facilities at the Memorial Student Center and Harless Dining Hall will be open. Students may also go off-campus to eat. There are several restaurants and fast food places within easy walking distance from campus.
Hotels
There are many hotels in the Huntington/Barboursville/Ashland area available for housing during the Honor Band Festival.
Parking for Buses
For those schools bringing buses, you may unload the students on 3rd Ave. in the left lane or in the parking lot north of the new Engineering Building across 3rd Ave. from Smith Music Hall. On Thursday before 7 p.m. and Friday all day, we ask that you park the buses at the stadium parking lot on the corner of 20th St. and 3rd Ave. (please remember that 3rd Ave. is one way going west, the stadium is east of the music building). On Friday, you may park in the new lot behind the new Engineering Building across 3rd Ave. from Smith Music Hall (corner of 3rd Ave. & Hal Greer Blvd.) or in the West Stadium Parking Lot.
Parking for Cars/Vans
On Wednesday evening cars and vans arriving before 6 p.m. should unload students at Smith Music Hall and then move to the West Stadium Parking Lot to park. On Thursday all cars and vans arriving after 6 p.m. may park in the parking lots directly across 3rd Ave. from Smith Music Hall. All other areas will be ticketed. On Thursday, all cars should park in the West Stadium Parking Lot until after 6 p.m. For the concert on Friday, all cars and vans may park in the lots across 3rd Ave. from Smith Music Hall. Parking in areas other than those instructed above may result in a parking ticket.
Please contact Dr. Phil Vallejo with any questions
304-696-3389
vallejop@marshall.edu