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OWU Music Festival

Timeline & Schedule

Music Festival Schedule (February 13 – 14, 2026)

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 13, 2026 

  • 8:00 – 8:30 AM, Check-In 
  •  8:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Rehearsals with breaks and activities at the conductor’s discretion. 
    • MS BISHOP Honor Band: Benes Rooms (Hamilton Williams Campus Center)
    • MS RED & BLACK Honor Band: Chappelear Main Stage
    • 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 to warm up before their audition (first come, first served). 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 Logan Page and Chris 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 – 5:00 PM, rehearsals with breaks and activities at conductor’s discretion. 
    • BISHOP MS Honor Band (Wightman, conductor): Benes Rooms in Hamilton Williams Campus Center
    • RED & BLACK MS Honor Band (Alexis, conductor): Main Stage of Chappelear Drama Center
    • SENIOR HS Honor Band (Jackson, conductor): Presser Rehearsal Room (Sanborn Hall)
      • Senior Band Sectionals (1:15 – 2:15 PM) in Sanborn Hall
        • Flutes: 013 with Renee Simon
        • Oboes, Bassoons: 101 with Karen Pfeiffer
        • Clarinets: Green Room with Adrienne Lape
        • Saxophones: 327 with Hannah Watson
        • High Brass: 201 with Sarah Grosse
        • Low Brass: Jemison with Tony Weikel
        • Percussion: Presser with Logan Page
      • Senior Band Full Rehearsal in Presser (2:30 – 5:00 PM)
  • 5:15 – 6:30 PM, Dinner provided
  • 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM, Host concert in Gray Chapel (University Hall) featuring the OWU Symphonic Wind Ensemble

Saturday, February 15, 2025

  • 8:00 – 8:30 AM, Check-In at SAME locations. 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, Bishop 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 Bishop Band, Red & Black Band, and Senior Band.

Timeline to the 2026 OWU Music Festival

November 21, 2025 

  • Music teacher nominations must be submitted online by Friday, 11/22/24.

December 5, 2025

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

December 8, 2025

  • Official 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 the morning of the music festival (Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, 8:30 – 9:30 AM in Sanborn Hall) for HS Honor Band members only.

The Honor Band Festival website (owu.edu/HonorBandFestival) and music teachers are the primary point of contact for all festival communication and information.

January 6, 2026

  • 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.

January 12, 2026

  • All fees due by Monday, 1/13/25 (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 26, 2026

  • 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 30, 2026

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