UMASS HONOR BAND

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

DIRECTORS: click here to NOMINATE STUDENTS

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Honor Band schedule for students will feature masterclasses with UMass faculty, a concert with the UMass Wind Ensemble, and a forum to interact with UMass music students. Lunch and dinner will be provided! Registration for accepted students on Honor Band Day will begin at 8:00am, and rehearsals will begin at 8:30am. Concert performance will be at 7:00pm. The cost is $45 per student, which covers everything, including lunch and dinner.

Information about participation, ensemble assignments, repertoire, and schedule will be distributed in January.

***HONOR BAND SNOW DATE - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2025***

In the event that we would have to postpone Honor Band due to weather, the top of this website page would have information about the changes.

2025 GUEST COMPOSER: ERIKA SVANOE

Dr. Erika Svanoe (b. 1976) is a conductor and composer for wind band, known for her lyrical melodies, nods to classic literature, and musical deconstruction, humor, and pastiche. Her works have been performed internationally by school, university, community, and professional bands. Her first major work, The Haunted Carousel, won the 2014 NBA Young Band Composition Contest. 

As a conductor, Dr. Svanoe has held residencies with the USAF Heritage of America Band, the Atlanta Freedom Bands, and numerous universities. She has held collegiate appointments at Augsburg University, Bemidji State University, and the University of New Hampshire. She is active as a guest conductor and clinician, appearing with high school, university, and festival ensembles across the United States. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from The Ohio State University, a Master of Music in Wind Conducting from Oklahoma State University, and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. She currently lives in Menomonie, WI with her husband, designer and graphic novelist Erik Evensen.