Honor Bands
Honor Band Opportunities
2027 dates coming soon!
Friday, January 23 and Saturday, January 24, 2026
The Invitational Honor Band weekend brings together close to 200 high school students from Kentucky and neighboring states for a weekend of excellent music making. This is an invitation-only event and requires high school band directors, UofL faculty, or private instructors to complete a nomination form for their students. After the director/teacher sends in their nominations to the band office, students are carefully selected and sent an invitation from the UofL Band Department requesting their participation. Once participation is confirmed, audition music and additional details and materials about the Honor Band weekend are sent out as a separate mailing to invited students. The final event will feature a Saturday evening performance at 7:00 p.m. of the Honor Bands in Margaret Comstock Concert Hall at the School of Music.
Nominate your students for the 28th Annual Invitational Honor Band by downloading the Excel sheet below and returning it via email (as an Excel file, not a PDF, please) to adam.thomas@louisville.edu. Please submit nominations by Friday, October 31, 2025. Early nominations will be appreciated!
- Letter to directors coming soon
- Nomination form coming soon
2027 dates coming soon!
Sunday, June 7 – Thursday, June 11, 2026
This ensemble is made up of talented high school and early collegiate musicians who are looking for an exciting and educational summer performance experience. Only students who have been nominated by their high school band director, private teacher, or one of our own University of Louisville faculty members are eligible. Nominees should be confident performers capable of executing Grade 5 and 6 repertoire. We look forward to building on the successes of recent institutes. Our past Wind Band Institute ensembles have presented fabulous performances of Ticheli’s Symphony No. 2, Persichetti’s Symphony No. 6, Giannini’s Symphony No. 3, Reed’s Symphony No. 2, Nelhybel’s Two Symphonic Movements, and others.
Dr. Speck will conduct the Honor Band, while other faculty will offer special workshops and master classes. Rehearsal and performance in the Honor Band will be a primary feature of the Wind Band Institute. In addition, there will be master classes and seminars for various instrument families regarding technique, stage etiquette, introductory conducting and preparing for successful auditions. There will be a “grand finale” concert on the final evening for parents, teachers, and the community to attend, free of charge. The middle school groups will perform first followed by the high school Honor Band. For more information regarding the Wind Band Institute, please reach out to Adam Thomas at adam.thomas@louisville.edu.
Directors, Private Teachers, and UofL Faculty, please find full details in the letter from Dr. Speck below, along with the nomination form.
- Letter to directors coming soon
- Nomination form coming soon
2027 dates coming soon!
Sunday, June 7 – Thursday, June 11, 2026
Mirroring the rewarding experiences from the High School Wind Band Institute, the Middle School version is a day camp (9am – 5pm) for middle school students. Each day will include full ensemble rehearsals, master classes, theory instruction and an hour break for lunch. The camp will focus on performance instruction, comprehensive musicianship, playing techniques and theory skills. On check-in day, each student will complete a brief placement audition (from the music sent by mail before camp begins) and a brief theory exam to determine the appropriate placement within the ensemble and the most appropriate theory section. This year’s Middle School Wind Band Institute will run from the afternoon of Sunday, June 7, through the evening of Thursday, June 11, 2026. We are delighted to have with us guest conductors Mr. Phil Thomas (Highland Hills Middle School, Retired Band Director), and Dr. Jason Freeman (UofL Assistant Director of Athletic Bands), as well as UofL faculty and students. There will be a “grand finale” concert on the evening of June 11 for parents, teachers, and the community to attend, free of charge. The middle school groups will perform first followed by the high school Honor Band. For more information regarding the Wind Band Institute, please reach out to Adam Thomas at adam.thomas@louisville.edu.
Only students who have been nominated by their high school band director, private teacher, or one of our own University of Louisville faculty members are eligible. This year, we will be offering a special ensemble experience for advanced middle school students who can successfully perform Grade 2.5 – Grade 3 music.
Directors, Private Teachers, and UofL Faculty, please find full details in the letter from Dr. Acklin below, along with the nomination form.
- Letter to directors coming soon
- Nomination form coming soon
The School of Music is home to concerts and events of all styles.
Our students, faculty and guest artists perform both in and outside of our concert halls to UofL and community audiences. We invite you to check out our many opportunities including general concerts, student recitals and the larger scale special events of our school.
