Honor Music Festival
The Shepherd University School of Music is proud to announce its Twenty-First Annual Honor Music Festival, taking place on two special dates on our campus in Shepherdstown, WV.
- The Honor Wind and Honor Jazz Festival will take place over Martin Luther King, Jr. Day weekend, from Saturday, January 17 through Sunday, January 18, 2026.
- The Keyboard Day will take place on January 24, 2026.
- The Honor Choir Festival was held on Thursday, October 16, 2025.
This annual event offers exceptional musical opportunities for students selected to participate in the Honor Wind Ensemble, Honor Jazz Ensemble, Keyboard Day, and Honor Choir, providing enriching and meaningful musical experiences in a collegiate setting.
HONOR JAZZ AND WIND FESTIVAL
The Honor Jazz and Wind Festival is a two-day event designed for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors to create exceptional music and collaborate with Shepherd University faculty conductors as well as distinguished guest conductors.
This year’s Honor Wind Ensemble conductors will be Mr. Dan Kalantarian, Emeritus Director of Athletic Bands at Memphis, Ball State, Wake Forest, Hawaii, and Idaho State Universities, and Dr. Scott Hippensteel, Director for the Shepherd University School of Music. The conductors for the Honor Jazz Ensemble will be Mr. Scott Silbert, Retired US Navy Commodores, Saxophone and Staff Arranger, and Dr. Kurtis Adams, Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Director of Jazz Studies.
Participants will also have the opportunity to work with our exceptional applied faculty through master classes, performances, and clinics, and enjoy inspiring concerts by the Shepherd University Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and faculty chamber ensembles.
Shepherd Honor Music Festival 2026 will include Honor Wind Ensemble and Honor Jazz Ensemble. These ensembles will be finalized in early December and all Honor Music Festival participants and band directors will be notified of these ensemble placements via email by December 12. All Honor Music Festival participants should receive a packet in the mail before Christmas that includes the cover letter, schedule, honor festival information, and printed music. If you do not receive your packet by Christmas, please contact our Outreach Coordinator, Heather Wilson, at the School of Music office (hwilson@shepherd.edu)
Listening links for the Honor Wind Ensemble:
The Big Cage – Karl L. King, arr. Glover
Overture for Winds – Charles Carter
American Folk Rhapsody No. 2 – Clare Grundman
Pas Redoublé – Camile Saint-Saëns, arr. Frackenpohl
America the Beautiful – Samuel Ward, arr. Dragon
Honor Wind Ensemble Guest Conductor
Dan Kalantarian has enjoyed a varied career in music education. As an ensemble director teaching experience includes 10 years at the high school level, 11 years developing elementary and junior high school performing ensembles, and 20 years directing university concert bands,
marching bands, and jazz bands. As a music educator: he teaches courses in composition, theory, orchestration, conducting, music education, music history, and music appreciation. As a composer/arranger: he has over 400 band arrangements which are performed by many of the top high school and university bands in the US. During the past 35 years, Mr. Kalantarian has been an adjudicator for concert, marching and jazz bands in 28 states, and has been a guest conductor for over 50 concert and jazz honor bands.
Keyboard Day
Experience a day of engaging master classes, interactive Q&A sessions, and inspiring performances by distinguished faculty and accomplished alumni from the School of Music—designed especially for music educators and advanced high school junior and senior piano students.
Coordinated by Dr. Yu-Hsuan Liao, Coordinator of the Keyboard Program at Shepherd University School of Music, the event showcases the depth and creativity of our keyboard program while offering a glimpse into the vibrant musical community at Shepherd.
Tentative Schedule
Why Attend?
– Learn directly from university faculty and alumni.
– Experience the vibrant community of the Shepherd School of Music.
– Gain insight into college-level music study and performance opportunities.
– Connect with peers and educators who share your passion for piano.
*The cost to participate in the Keyboard Day is $25. Participants may register HERE
HONOR CHOIR FESTIVAL
The Honor Choir one-day event includes wonderful learning opportunities for students and Professional Development sessions for choir directors at no additional cost. High school choir teachers and 8-10 of their finest students will collaborate with faculty and students from the Shepherd University School of Music, including Dr. Jason Strunk, Director of Choral and Vocal Activities, and guest clinician Dr. Coreen Duffy, Associate Professor of Conducting and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Colorado Boulder. To demonstrate their growth, students will present a final concert.