Festivals
We invite high school and middle school students to dive into a specific discipline with our faculty and guest artists.
Our festivals are immersive experiences that activate you through engaging and high-quality workshops, concerts and other programming. These are some of our most beloved traditions and invite a lot of people to campus!
Get to know the festivals:
- Brass and Percussion Day
- Bailey Choral Festival
- Colorado All-State Band Festival
- Choir Festivals: Singers in the Middle, Sound Summit
- High School Theatre Festival
- Paul Elwood Festival of New Music
- UNC•Greeley Jazz Festival
- Western States Honor Orchestra Festival
Why choose our festivals?
- Experience campus and see our facilities
- Get to know our faculty and staff
- Meet other students in your discipline
- Grow in your art with our guest artists, performance experiences and educational programming
Get to Know Our Festivals
Brass and Percussion Day
Brass and percussion players of all levels are invited to campus for Brass and Percussion Day. This free event will include master classes, All-State audition prep sessions, student and faculty performances and more.
Choir Festivals
Learn about multiple ways you can get to know UNC Choirs on campus, including Singers in the Middle Choral Festival for developing middle school vocalists, Sound Summit for high school choirs, Bailey Choral Festival and more!
Colorado All-State Band
The Colorado All-State Band Festival brings high school students from all across the state who have been selected through competitive auditions. They rehearse together at UNC with guest conductors for multiple days in two large bands and perform together on an exciting finale concert that you won’t want to miss!
High School Theatre Festival
Get to know the UNC School of Theatre Arts and Dance at the Annual High School Theatre Festival! You will have the opportunity to work with faculty and students in our morning workshops, audition for our programs, and attend an afternoon matinee of our spring musical.
Western States Honor Orchestra Festival
High school students from across the state and region are invited to audition for Western States Honor Orchestra Festival! You’ll rehearse with other students in a conductorless Chamber Orchestra or a larger Symphony Orchestra and have the chance to attend workshops and master classes for 3 days before an exciting finale concert.
UNC•Greeley Jazz Festival
One of the largest events of its kind, the UNC•Greeley Jazz Festival brings internationally recognized artists and clinicians plus jazz ensembles, students and jazz fans from around the country to campus for three days of concerts, clinics, master classes and more.
Other Festivals
Paul Elwood Festival of New Music
Devoted to works of contemporary music, the Paul Elwood Festival of New Music (formerly the Open Space Festival) features renowned guest artists in performances and lectures with involvement from our most talented School of Music students. This year we welcome the 27-person contemporary music group Ensemble Dal Niente, and the UNC Symphonic band with the UNC Department of Physics & Astronomy presents Harmony of the Spheres: An Interdisciplinary Experience, an imaginative concert that brings together music and science.
Tuesday, March 9, 7:30 p.m. in Campus Commons Performance Hall
Ensemble Dal Niente
Wednesday, March 11, 7:30 p.m. in Campus Commons Performance Hall
UNC Symphonic Band in Harmony of the Spheres: An Interdisciplinary Experience concert
Bailey Choral Festival
The Bailey Choral Festival happens every two years and unites students, alumni and guests for large-scale choir and orchestra performances. It was established in 2010 and supported by benefactors Donald and Karen Bailey and UNC emeriti professors. The festival now includes the UNC Choral Conducting Symposium that offers workshops and masterclasses for several national conducting fellows who then get to participate in the final concert.
2026 Concert: This year, Bailey Choral Festival presents Verdi’s monumental Requiem under the direction of guest conductor Chloé Dufresne. Renowned for its dramatic intensity and profound beauty, this masterwork offers an unforgettable evening of passion, grandeur and emotional depth.
Festival Highlights
