BHS Wind Symphony Headed to SuperState—Second Year in a Row!
The Batavia Wind Symphony (the highest-performing curricular band at Batavia High School) was recently accepted into the 2018 Illinois SuperState Concert Band Festival at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Per the University of Illinois Bands website, “the Illinois SuperState Concert Band Festival invites only the finest wind band programs in the state of Illinois based on competitive application.”
“This is the premier band festival in Illinois and amounts to the state championships for concert bands,” said Chris Owen, BHS Band Director.
It is the fifth time Batavia High School has been accepted into the Illinois SuperState Concert Band Festival and the second time since 2000. Only six schools were accepted in the Class AAA school size. (View list of all schools accepted.) This year, there were a total of 99 applicants, and only bands from Illinois are eligible to apply.
The BHS Batavia Wind Symphony will be performing a concert for national clinicians in the Foellinger Great Hall at the University of Illinois Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Sat., May 5 at 10 a.m. Admission is free and open to the public for all Illinois SuperState band performances. This performance will also be lived-streamed on May 5 at 10 a.m. at banddirector.com.
Based on this performance, the BHS Symphony has a chance of being selected as an “Honor Band.” Honor Bands automatically return the following year for a feature concert.
“We’re incredibly proud of our students’ hard work to prepare for the audition process and are looking forward to representing Batavia and Batavia High School at this prestigious festival,” said Mr. Owen.
Congratulations to all the members of the Batavia Wind Symphony and their directors, Chris Owen and Brian VanKley!
