61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware OH 43015
Email Us (740) 368-3721
OWU Music Festival

Timeline & Schedule

Music Festival Schedule (February 12 – 13, 2027)

Rehearsal times include multiple activities at the conductor’s discretion to balance rehearsal goals with student endurance. In addition to rehearsing festival music, holding sectionals, or leading music games, HS ensembles will break approximately ever 90 minutes and MS ensembles will break approximately every 75 minutes. All students will be supervised by OWU festival staff at all times.

Friday, February 12, 2027 

  • 8:00 – 8:25 AM, Check-In 
  •  8:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Rehearsals with breaks and activities at the conductor’s discretion. 
    • RED & BLACK MS Honor Band: Benes Rooms (Hamilton Williams Campus Center)
    • HS SENIOR Honor Band: Seating Auditions 8:30 – 9:30 AM in designated Sanborn rooms
      • All Senior Band Brass & Woodwind members have an assigned 5-minute audition time between 8:30 – 9:30 AM. After check-in, Brass and Woodwind students report to Jemison Auditorium in Sanborn Hall to await their audition time. Students may use any available 3rd-floor practice room or the choir room on the 3rd floor to warm up before their audition. After your audition, all Senior Band students report to Jemison Auditorium to await the announcement of seating results.
      • Senior Band Percussion members report directly to Presser Rehearsal Room after check-in for an 8:30 – 9:30 AM percussion sectional with Dr. Lizak.
      • Senior Band Full Rehearsal at 10:00 AM in Presser Rehearsal Room (Sanborn Hall)
  • 12:00 – 12:45 PM, Lunch provided 
  • 1:00 PM – 5:20 PM, rehearsals with breaks and activities at conductor’s discretion. 
    • RED & BLACK MS Honor Band: Benes Rooms in Hamilton Williams Campus Center
    • SENIOR HS Honor Band: Presser Rehearsal Room (Sanborn Hall)
      • Senior Band Sectionals (1:00 – 2:00 PM) in Sanborn Hall
      • Senior Band Full Rehearsal in Presser (2:10 – 5:20 PM)
  • 5:30 – 6:15 PM, Dinner provided
  • 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM, Host concert in Gray Chapel (University Hall) featuring the OWU Symphonic Wind Ensemble. All teachers, family, and friends are welcome to attend!
  • 7:45 PM: End of Day 1! Parents or Teachers pick up your students from Gray Chapel (University Hall).

Saturday, February 13, 2027

  • 8:00 – 8:25 AM, Check-In at SAME locations as Friday. Parents or Teachers pick up students from this location for lunch. Saturday lunch is on your own and not provided by OWU.
  • 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Rehearsals
  • 11:00 AM – Parents or Teachers of Honor Band ensembles pick up students from rehearsal venues to provide lunch and then transport to Gray Chapel (University Hall) for concert check-in at 1:30 PM. Saturday lunch is on your own and not provided by OWU.
  • 1:30 PM – Senior Band and Red & Black Band report to Gray Chapel assigned seating in University Hall.
  • 2:00 PM – Grand Finale Concert featuring all Honor Bands in Gray Chapel (University Hall) featuring Red & Black Band and Senior Band. Approximate end time is 3:00 PM.

Timeline to the 2027 OWU Music Festival

November 20, 2026

  • Nomination form closes. All music teacher nominations must be submitted online by this date.

December 4, 2025

  • Teachers will be notified of accepted and waitlisted students acceptance via email.

December 7, 2025

  • Official acceptance or waitlist announcement posted on the Honor Band Festival Website indicating next steps for all teachers, parents, and students.
  • High School Honor Band schedule and instructions for part assignment auditions will be announced. Live auditions with OWU music staff will be held on Friday morning of the Honor Band festival (Friday, Feb. 12, 2027, 8:30 – 9:30 AM in Sanborn Hall) for HS SENIOR Honor Band brass and woodwind members only. HS percussionists complete video auditions due by Friday, Feb. 5, 2027.
  • NOTE: Mass emails to all parents, students, and teachers is unreliable due to school account firewalls. The Honor Band Festival website (owu.edu/HonorBandFestival) and the nominating music teacher will be the primary point of contact for all festival announcements to parents and students.

January 11, 2027

  • Parents and Guardians: verify your child’s participation by completing the confirmation form for t-shirt size, media permission, any medical needs, and an optional extra lunch order on Saturday. Failure to complete the confirmation form by this date may cause a student to lose their spot in the festival.
  • All fees due (online payment or postmarked check must be sent by this date). If fees are covered by the school or booster organization, parents may indicate this on the confirmation form. Failure to pay for a student by this date disqualifies a student from participation.

January 25, 2027

  • An official letter of excused absence will be available on the Honor Band Festival website homepage listing the names of all accepted and confirmed participating students for any parents and directors who need to verify a student’s participation in the OWU Music Festival for their school.

January 29, 2029

  • Refund requests are not available within two weeks of the festival start date.

February 5, 2027

  • HS SENIOR Honor Band percussionists complete video auditions due by Friday, Feb. 5, 2027. Instructions for recording and submitting videos are provided in the Dec. 7 Acceptance Announcement posted on the festival website.
Copyright © OWU Honor Band Festival