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NOMINATIOns closed for 2026!

Nomination Procedure

Nomination does not automatically ensure selection; however, all participating schools will be guaranteed representation.

Directors will be asked to submit up to five student names by January 09, 2026, utilizing the Google form available at this link. Students will have electronic access to music sent to their email upon acceptance.

Each school may only nominate five qualified students who can be nominated but, please remember that many schools will nominate flutes and alto saxophones.

Contact Dr. Chris Heidenreich for more information at cph@latech.edu or (318) 257-2089.

Music

Chairs will be determined once on campus during the Friday audition on the music to be played during on the Ark-La-Tex concert.

General Information

The School of Music of the Louisiana Tech University is pleased to announce the High School Honor Band Weekend culminating in a performance by the student musicians. The band will be selected based on the nomination of the respective band director.

Each school may nominate up to five qualified students. Any student currently enrolled in grades 10-12 who is in good standing with their high school band or orchestra is eligible for nomination. Students enrolled in grade 9-10 will be considered only to fill out instrumentation. Louisiana Tech Director of Bands Dr. Chris Heidenreich will also conduct the band, and sectionals will be coached by the applied faculty of Louisiana Tech.

Chair placement within each section will be determined at the audition on Friday morning on the music that is scheduled to appear on the concert.

Important Dates

Registration Opens October 1, 2025

Nomination Deadline Friday, January 09, 2026

Notification of Acceptance On or before January 20, 2026

Honor Band Weekend Friday-Saturday, February 27-28, 2025

Directors and/or Parent/Guardians are responsible for travel and securing lodging. Ruston has several hotels in the area. Supervision of students during the evening is the responsibility of the band director and [or] appointed supervisor(s) from each school.

Dr. David Biedenbender

2026 Guest Composer/Conductor

David Biedenbender (b. 1984) is a composer, conductor, performer, educator, and interdisciplinary collaborator. His music “…seizes the ear through a blend of expressive beauty and formal prowess…at turns rapturous and intimate, menacing and exuberant…Biedenbender isn’t afraid to wear heart on sleeve as he applies telling nuances to concise, exquisitely shaped sonic tales.” (Gramophone) He has written music for the concert stage as well as for dance and multimedia collaborations, and his creative interests include working with classically trained musicians and improvisers, chamber and large ensembles, interactive electronic interfaces and live brain data. His music is influenced by experiences performing in rock and jazz groups, classical ensembles and concert bands, a New Orleans-style brass band, as well as Indian Carnatic Music. “…active, compelling…shot through with energy….wonderfully imagined…Clearly, this is a composer to watch out for.” (Fanfare Magazine)

David is interested in the expressive power of combining strange and unusual elements—often timbres and textures—with things that are more familiar—like harmony and melody. He often embeds the resonance of imagined spaces into the music itself, using acoustic instruments to emulate electronic processes. He is also drawn to exploring the perception of time and memory in music through the relationships between various temporal layers, rhythm, and meter.

David has collaborated with many renowned performers and ensembles, including Alarm Will Sound, Albany (NY) Symphony Orchestra, PRISM Saxophone Quartet, Stenhammar String Quartet (Sweden), New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, VocalEssence, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Music from Copland House, American Brass Quintet, and the New York Virtuoso Singers, among many others. His works for wind ensemble have been performed by distinguished ensembles around the world, including La garde Républicaine, the United States Navy Band, “President’s Own” Marine Band, “Pershing’s Own” Army Band, Army Field Band, Coast Guard Band, and Air Force Band,” as well as many leading collegiate and conservatory wind ensembles. He was also the 2022 Guest Composer at Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory, a Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics.

Recognition for David’s work includes the Rudolf Nissim Prize, Sousa/Ostwald Award, two ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, a Barlow Commission, and the Suzanne and Lee Ettelson Composers Award. His music has been heard in many diverse venues, including Carnegie Hall, Gaudeamus Muziekweek/TivoliVredenberg (Netherlands), Symphony Space (NYC), Smithsonian Museum, Antonín Dvořák Museum (Prague), Harris Hall (Aspen Music Festival), National Sawdust (NYC), the Interlochen Center for the Arts, as well as at numerous universities and conservatories, and it has been broadcast on NPR stations around the country. David’s music can also be heard on many commercially available recordings, including on Blue Griffin, Naxos, XAS, Summit, Cobra, GIA, Centaur, Bright Shiny Things, and Innova record labels, among others.

In addition to composing, David is a dedicated teacher. He is Associate Professor and Chair of Composition in the College of Music at Michigan State University, and he has served previously on the composition and theory faculty at Boise State University, Eastern Michigan University, Oakland University, Madonna University, Music in the Mountains Summer Conservatory in Durango, CO, and the Interlochen Arts Camp. His composition students have achieved regional and national recognition for their creative work, including numerous awards and acceptance into renowned summer music festivals and undergraduate and graduate composition programs.

He holds degrees from the University of Michigan (DMA, MM) and Central Michigan University (BM). His musical mentors include Evan Chambers, Kristin Kuster, Stephen Rush, Michael Daugherty, Bright Sheng, Christopher Lees, David R. Gillingham, José Luis-Maurtúa, John Williamson, and Mark Cox. He also studied at the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study with Anders Hillborg and Steven Stucky, the Aspen Music Festival and School, and in Mysore, India where he studied South Indian Carnatic music, focusing on the mridangam with Vidwan G.S. Ramanujan. For more information, visit www.davidbiedenbender.com.

special ark-la-tex rate

The Hampton by Hilton of Ruston is offering a special Ark-La-Tex rate for Friday and Saturday (optional, be sure to adjust your dates as needed for your travel needs as the concert on Saturday concludes at 4:45 PM). Use this booking link for the details.

Hampton by Hilton of Ruston

1315 N Trenton St. / Ruston La. 71270

Ph# (318) 251-3090

Schedule of Events

Friday, February 27, 2026

9-11 AM Registration in Howard Auditorium (lunch coupon provided at registration), stage is open for individual warm-ups and practice

10-12 PM Chair placement auditions.

Flutes-HC 331 Trumpets-HC 332

Clarinets/Saxes (all)-HC 221 Low Brass- HC 112 (Choir Room)

Horns- HC 215 (Recital Hall) Percussion-Band Bld 103

Dbl Reeds-HC 222

OPTIONAL School of Music auditions (must be arranged in advance)

Lunch on your own

12:30-2:45 PM Introductions and rehearsal on Howard Stage

3:00-5:00 PM Sectionals

Flutes-HC 222 Horns- HC 215 (Recital Hall)

Clarinets (all)-BB 202 Trumpets-BB 108 (Small Hall)

Saxes (all)-BB 204 Low Brass- HC 112 (Choir Room)

Dbl Reeds-HC 221 Percussion-BB 109 (Large Hall)

5:30 PM Dinner (Tech Table, provided)

7:00 PM Concert with the Jazz Ensemble and Symphonic Wind Ensemble in Howard Auditorium

§ Directors and/or Parent/Guardians are responsible for travel and securing lodging. Ruston has several hotels in the area. Supervision of students during the evening is the responsibility of the band director and [or] appointed supervisor(s) from each school.

Saturday, February 28, 2026

8:00-8:30 AM Warm-up on Howard Stage, breakfast on your own (there are no campus dining options in the AM)

8:30 AM-11:45 AM Rehearsal on Howard Stage

Admissions presentations

12:00-1:00 PM Lunch (provided)

1:15-3:00 PM Rehearsal on Howard Stage

3:00 PM Change in concert dress as is typical for your high school

4:00-5:00 PM Honor Band Concert

Director's Clinic Please register in advance here

8:30 AM Donuts and coffee in Band Building

9:00 AM Dr. Greg Lyons, clinician

“Best Techniques for Percussion Accessory Instruments”

10:00 AM Dr. Wade Dillingham, clinician

“A Single Reed Pedagogy Booster Shot”

11:00 AM Mr. Walter Moss, Ruston High School, clinician

“Care and Feeding of Your Drumset Player,” Sponsored by Pearl Drums

12:15 AM Lunch on your own (Campus options include Tech Table, Chick-fil-A, Moe’s, Subway, and Sushic)

1:00 PM Dr. Chris Heidenreich, clinician

“Hidden Gems”-Bring 2-3 works for wind band to share!

2:00 PM Dr. David Biedenbender, Michigan State University, clinician

“Creative Process and Musical Influences”

4:00 PM Ark-La-Tex High School Honor Band Concert

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