News & Media

High School Musicians Invited to Audition for Ohio Wesleyan Band Festival

Jan. 21, 2017 Event to Include Educational Opportunities, Community Concert Performance

Delaware, Ohio – The 53^rd annual Ohio Wesleyan University President’s High School Band Festival will be held Jan. 21, 2017, to showcase the talents of high school musicians from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, and beyond.

High school students are invited to apply for the festival, which requires a recommendation email from their music directors, through Dec. 19, 2016.

During the festival, participants will form an honors band and perform a free community concert at 7 p.m. Jan. 21, 2017, in in Ohio Wesleyan’s renowned Gray Chapel. The location is the home of OWU’s Rexford Keller Memorial Organ, which features 4,644 pipes, and is the performance venue of the Central Ohio Symphony.

The festival honors band will be led by OWU music professor and acclaimed trumpeter Larry Griffin, D.M.A., who also is chair of Ohio Wesleyan’s Department of Music.

“I hope that participating in our President’s High School Band Festival will give you a taste of what life is like on our campus,” Griffin says to the student-applicants. “If you are a serious student who thrives on academic challenge, works hard, and desires to excel, I hope you will come with your eyes wide open.”

The festival provides a chance to experience Ohio Wesleyan from the inside – its facilities, faculty, and students, Griffin said, noting that participation is appropriate for those who want to major in music as well as for those who enjoy making music but want to major in another academic discipline.

High school students are invited to review the festival’s audition guidelines and apply online now through Dec. 19, 2016, at www.owu.edu/bandfestival. Accepted high school seniors interested in majoring in music also will be invited to audition for Ohio Wesleyan music merit scholarships on the evening of Jan. 20, 2017, and, if they wish, spend the night on campus.

For questions, contact Mary Wadell, festival coordinator, at presidentsbandfest@owu.edu. For a taste of OWU music performances, explore videos on the festival’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/OWUbandfestival.

Learn more about the Ohio Wesleyan’s Department of Music, its faculty, and the upcoming festival at www.owu.edu/music.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers nearly 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan’s signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.