Kansas Wesleyan University will sponsor its 17th Annual Smoky Hills Wind Festival Honor Band, this year made up of 30 high school students all nominated by their band teachers. They represent Salina Central High School, Osborne High School, Junction City High School, Holdrege High School (NE), Fairbury High School (NE) and Royse City High School (TX). The event takes place February 6 & 7.

“What makes this honor band unique in that the high school participants get to sit side by side with collegiate musicians in rehearsals and performance,” said Sarah Bernard-Stevens, assistant music professor and director of Bands at KWU. “This setup allows our guests to experience what it’s like to spend a day on a college campus as part of a collegiate music group. It’s always a fun experience for everyone to work together in putting on a concert.”

The Festival will include a day of making music while working with collegiate musicians and KWU music faculty. At the end of the two days together, the high school attendees will team up with the KWU Wind Ensemble to perform under the direction of Bernard-Stevens in a free concert that is open to the public, Sunday, February 7 at 2 p.m. in Sams Chapel, in The Hall of the Pioneers.

As a bonus, the KWU Jazz Ensemble and the KWU Wind Ensemble, featuring senior percussion performance major Hannah Antholz as vibraphone soloist, will perform for a special concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night, February 6, also in Sams Chapel, a concert that is also free and open to the public. All are welcome.

WHAT: 17th Annual Smoky Hills Wind Festival Honor Band
DATES: Saturday–Sunday, February 6–7, 2016
SPONSOR: Kansas Wesleyan University

FREE CONCERT: KWU Wind Ensemble
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, February 6
WHERE: Sams Chapel, The Hall of the Pioneers

FREE CONCERT: Smoky Hills Wind Festival Honor Band with the KWU Wind Ensemble
WHEN: 2 p.m., Sunday, February 7
WHERE: Sams Chapel, The Hall of the Pioneers