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:
One band per school
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
