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.
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The Honor Choir Festival will be held on Thursday, October 16, 2025.
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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.
This annual event offers exceptional musical opportunities for students selected to participate in the Honor Wind Ensemble, Honor Jazz Ensemble, and Honor Choir, providing enriching and meaningful musical experiences in a collegiate setting.
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 8-12 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.
Registration opens June 16 and closes September 16, 2025. The fee is $80 per student.
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. Participants will engage with our outstanding applied faculty through master classes, performances, and clinics. They will also enjoy captivating concerts by the Shepherd University Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and faculty chamber groups.
Our conductors for the Honor Wind and Honor Jazz Festival are Dr. Scott Hippensteel (Wind Ensemble), Dr. Kurtis Adams (Jazz Ensemble). Special guest conductors include Dr. Susan Creasap, leading the Honor Wind Ensemble, and Dr. Euan Edmonds, leading the Honor Jazz Ensemble.
Honor Festival Jazz and Choir Music
2025 Recordings of Honor Jazz Repertoire:
Big Bruiser-John Fedchock
Basically Blues-Buddy Rich
Black Hole Sun-Arr. James Miley
Big Dipper-Thad Jones
Bossa Rio-John Fedchock
Hay Burner-Sammy Nestico
2025 Recordings of Honor Wind Ensemble Repertoire:
Don Ricardo – Gabriel Musella
The Witch and the Saint – Steven Reineke, arr Conaway
All Through the Night – arr. Julie Giroux
Melodious Thunk – David Biedenbender
West Side Story – Leonard Bernstein, arr. Bocook
Forgotten Tales of the West – Adrian Sims