CSU Honor Band Festival

By participating in the CSU Honor Band, "I hope that I can learn some more skills for trumpet and maybe meet some friends that I can continue to stay connected with." – Audra Marriott, Thunder Ridge High School

My favorite part of the CSU Honor Band Festival is “playing as an ensemble. It’s a really great group this year, especially, and I just enjoy playing with the ensemble we have, and the music selected.” – Ian Hall, Legacy High School

By participating in the CSU Honor Band, “I’m hoping to take away more percussion knowledge. I’d like to go back to my school and I’d like to give some of the underclassmen a bunch of knowledge when they try to learn percussion because they’ll be like, 'Hey Makenna, how do I play this?' and I want to have more educated answers for them. So I’m hoping to take that from here and give it back to my school.” – Makenna Lindsay, Loveland High School

Join Us for the CSU Honor Band Festival

The annual CSU Honor Band Festival brings together the finest high school musicians in the Rocky Mountain Region, selected from hundreds of applicants throughout the western region; the three-day festival takes place at the University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Guest clinicians and conductors enhance the student’s experience, providing invaluable insight and expertise. In addition to rehearsals, students enjoy several concerts given by CSU faculty and student ensembles. The experience is capped off with a performance by the Honor Wind Symphony and the Festival Concert Band in the beautiful, world-class Griffin Concert Hall.

Past Clinicians

Arris Golden HeadshotDr. Arris Golden is the Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of the Spartan Marching Band at Michigan State University. In this capacity,  Dr. Golden teaches courses in conducting, and marching band techniques, conducts the Spartan Youth Wind Symphony, is coordinator of the MSU Performing Arts Camps, and assists with all aspects of the athletic band program. Before joining the faculty at Michigan State University, Dr. Golden was a member of the conducting faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

headshotDr. Brandon Houghtalen is the associate director of bands and director of athletic bands at The University of Texas at El Paso. His responsibilities include conducting the Symphonic Band, teaching graduate and undergraduate conducting, and overseeing the athletic band program. He previously held conducting positions at Abilene Christian University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of New Mexico. In 2018 he founded the On the List Project, a group of teachers that assists states as they work to make their required music lists more inclusive.

Corey Spurlin headshotDr. Corey Spurlin, Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at Auburn University. cla.auburn.edu

Dr. Ingrid Larragoity-Martin headshotDr. Ingrid Larragoity, El Sistema and Denver Young Artist Orchestra. elsistemacolorado.org

headshotDr. Matthew McCutchen, University of South Florida, Director of Bands since 2018. usf.edu/arts/music

headshot

Dr. Jayme Taylor is director of Athletic Bands at Colorado State University and serves as associate director of bands and assistant professor in the School of Music, Theater, and Dance. music.colostate.edu

James SpinazzolaDr. James Spinazzola, Cornell University, Director of the Wind Ensemble Program. music.cornell.edu/james-spinazzola

Linda Moorhouse's headshotDr. Linda Moorehouse, Professor of Music and Associate Director of the School of Music, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign. music.illinois.edu

Dr. Scott TobiasDr. Scott Tobias, Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at West Virginia University. music.wvu.edu

Travis Cross Honor Band ClinicianTravis J. Cross, Associate Professor of Music and Department Vice Chair at UCLA. Website

Dr. Rodney DorseyDr. Rodney Dorsey, Director of Wind Orchestra, Florida State University; fsu.edu

Rebecca Phillips Promotional PhotoDr. Rebecca Phillips, Director of Bands, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Colorado State University. music.colostate.edu

2024 DATES AND DEADLINES

  • Friday, October 25: Results of the audition posted online and emailed to all applicants and band directors
  • Friday, November 15: Electronic commitment forms due from successful applicants
  • Thursday, December 5 — Saturday, December 7: CSU High School Honor Band Festival

2024 FESTIVAL DATES AND DETAILS: Dec. 5-7, 2024

  • Thursday — Saturday: CSU Honor Band Festival, including CSU Symphonic Band Concert, CSU Wind Symphony Concert, and CSU Honor Band Festival Concert
  • Saturday: Final Concert at 2 p.m. Seating begins 30 minutes before curtain. Concert tickets will be distributed to students and directors.

Contact

Ethan Urtz

  • Performing Arts Support Specialist

ethan.urtz@colostate.edu