NSBA - Nebraska State Bandmasters Association

Upcoming Dates

Band Director Bootcamp- July 11, 2026
State Marching Band- October 24, 2026
8th Grade All-State- January 9, 2027
Spring NSBA Convention- March 4-6, 2027
Concert Band Festival- March 30-April 1, 2027
Jazz Festival- April 8-9, 2027

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State Concert Band Festival

2027 Information

This event will now offer 3 different dates.
Day #1 will be TUESDAY MARCH 30 in KEARNEY.  This is different and is due to conflicts with the FFA convention in Lincoln.  By having an option on Tuesday, Bands that have FFA students will not be without key players.
Day #2 = WEDNESDAY MARCH 31.  
Day #3 = THURSDAY APRIL 1.  
The locations for WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY will be announced later this summer.  Details about multiple entries per school will be sent later as well.

2026 Information

FESTIVAL APPLICATION

Due to last year’s success, the 2026 NSBA Concert Band Festival will once again be held at two different venues. Information is listed below:

  April 1st (Wednesday) at Bellevue East High School

  April 2nd (Thursday) at Kearney High School

Registration Google Form goes live: 

Monday, November 24th 

7:30 am Central Time

6:30 am Mountain Time

Registration Fee:  $200 per ensemble - will be billed at a later date.

Schools may attend either site as both sites will run on the same non-competitive format.  Bands of any size and skill level are welcome!

The NSBA Concert Band Festival provides a non-competitive environment that serves all levels of middle and high school ensembles in the state of Nebraska. In addition to having the opportunity to perform in an outstanding concert venue, students and directors will receive immediate and applicable feedback from some of the finest musicians and educators in the country – including recorded comments and a private clinic with one of the 2026 Concert Band Festival clinicians (a truly unique and valuable aspect of the NSBA Concert Band Festival). At the conclusion of their ensemble’s performance, directors will receive the following:

Audio recordings of their stage performance

Judges comments shared in a digital folder

Video recording of their ensemble’s clinic

Participation Plaque

Clinicians for both sites this year are:

  Dr. Jake Wallace, South Dakota State University

  Dr. Christian Noon, University of Missouri

  Dr. Curran Pendergrast, Truman State University

NEW THIS YEAR:  

  1. One band per school

  2. Second bands will be considered if the spots are not filled within a week.

Last year, this event was filled (both sites) by noon. As a result, we are trying to allow better representation by limiting registration to one band per school.

Stay Tuned:  Talks are underway regarding a virtual event!  This would be ideal for smaller bands that might not be able to make the trip but still want some feedback and coaching.

Please contact Lori Falcone at concert@nsbma.org with any questions.

Click here for past Concert Band Festival Programs!

Please direct all questions to NSBA Concert Band Chair Lori Falcone