West Virginia University will host its 37th Annual Invitational High School Honor Bands event on Feb. 11-13 at the Creative Arts Center. Approximately 375 student musicians, representing almost 100 high schools in West Virginia and five regional states, will participate. They are recommended by their high school band directors and selected on the basis of their ability and accomplishments.
The students will audition for band placement Thursday evening and then rehearse for two days before presenting the annual Honor Bands Concert at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre at the Creative Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public.
The Honor Bands event is hosted by WVU Director of Bands John Hendricks III, Associate Director Dearl J. Drury, and Assistant Director Christopher Nichter. Many of the high school band directors also accompany their students to the event, which serves as a workshop and observation opportunity for area music teachers.
“WVU’s School of Music is proud to host the Honor Band each year,” said Hendricks. “It is a wonderful opportunity for students to share music-making with top talent from a six-state area. For our event, there are no uniforms, no medals, and no awards – just quality music performed under outstanding guest conductors in a great concert hall.”
The guest conductors this year will be Robert W. Smith, renowned wind band composer; Stephen Barnett, Tennessee Education Representative for Amro Music Company and former Director of Bands at Marshall University; and Julia Kade, director of bands at Princeton High School in Princeton, WV.
As part of the Honor Band Weekend activities, the WVU Wind Symphony will perform a concert at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 12, in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre. This concert, a ticketed event, will also feature the three guest conductors for the WVU Invitational Honor Bands event.
For more information about the WVU Invitational High School Honor Bands event, contact the WVU Band Office at (304) 293-3097.
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CONTACT: David Welsh, WVU College of Creative Arts
304-293-3397; David.Welsh@mail.wvu.edu
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