INDIANAPOLIS — Outstanding school music ensembles and student musicians from across the country will gather in Indianapolis for the 25th Annual Music for All National Festival, presented by Yamaha, March 10-12, to present concerts and participate in music education workshops at top venues throughout Indianapolis.

The festival comprises the National Concert Band Festival, Orchestra America National Festival, Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival, Chamber Music National Festival, Middle School National Music Festival, and three national Honor Ensembles: the Honor Band of America, the Jazz Band of America, and the Honor Orchestra of America.

High school and middle school music ensembles were selected by recorded audition to perform at Clowes Memorial Hall, Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts at Butler University, Indiana Historical Society, and Warren Performing Arts Center.These 56 ensembles will be evaluated by renowned music educators and participate in professional master classes and special networking events.

Invited concert bands, orchestras, percussion ensembles, and honor ensemble members participating in the 2016 Festival come from 32 states including: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The ensembles that are participating from Indiana include the Carmel High School Wind Symphony and the Franklin Central High School Wind Ensemble.

This year features a new passionate group of students as well. United Sound, a non-profit organization committed to providing musical experiences for students with special needs, has formed the United Sound National Ensemble with students from United Sound programs at schools across the country. This ensemble will perform as a part of the Honor Band of America Concert  at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12, Clowes Memorial Hall.

In its 25th year, the Festival continues to expand and thrive as an annual program of Music for All, one of the nation’s largest and most influential organizations in support of music education, headquartered in Indianapolis.

“The non-competitive atmosphere of the festival provides a place for growth, cooperative encouragement and mutual respect. The ensembles are free to stretch themselves, reach for new heights, and strive for innovation, growth and excellence,” says Eric Martin, president and CEO of Music for All.

Festival Honor Ensembles:

Three honor ensembles bring student musicians from different schools across the country, selected by audition, to rehearse and perform together.

The Jazz Band of America will perform 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 11, at Clowes Memorial Hall, directed by Michael Phillip Mossman, Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in New York City, with guest artist and trombonist Steve Wilson. Tickets for the Jazz Band of America performance are $15 and can be ordered in advance at cloweshall.org, musicforall.org, or Ticketmaster.com.

The Honor Band of America will perform 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12, at Clowes Memorial Hall, conducted by Richard Floyd, Music Director of the Austin Symphonic Band and Retired State Director of Music at the University of Texas at Austin. Tickets for the Honor Band of America Concert at Clowes Memorial Hall are available at cloweshall.org and Ticketmaster.com.

The 2016 Honor Orchestra of America will perform two shared concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 11-12, at Hilbert Circle Theatre. Larry J. Livingston, Chair of the Conducting Department at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California will conduct the Honor Orchestra of America, along with assistant director Sey Ahn with guest artists “Time for Three.”

Tickets for the Honor Orchestra of America concert at Hilbert Circle Theatre are available at indianapolissymphony.org and the Hilbert Circle Theatre ticket office. The Honor Orchestra of America will perform as part of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Subscription Series.

National Concert Band Festival Tickets:

Tickets for the National Concert Band Festival performances at Clowes Hall, Thursday through Saturday, March 12-14, range from $5 to $40 and can be ordered in advance at cloweshall.org, musicforall.org, or Ticketmaster.com and purchased at the Clowes Hall ticket office.

Chamber Music National Festival Tickets:

Tickets for the Chamber Music National Festival performances at the Howard L. Schrott Center of the Arts at Butler University on Saturday, March 12 are available for $15 at Ticketmaster.com.

Free Admission Events:

Music for All is offering free admission to several concert events within the Festival. The free admission events include:

• Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival, 9 a.m.-5:15 p.m. Friday, March 11, Warren Performing Arts Center
• Middle School National Music Festival, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 12, Howard L. Schrott Center for the
• Chamber Music National Festival, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday, March 11, Indiana Historical Society
• Music for All National Festival – Invited Ensembles, 8 a.m.-6:15 p.m. Friday, March 11, Howard L. Shrott Center for the Arts, Butler University
• Orchestra America National Festival, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday, March 11, Hilbert Circle Theatre

A full schedule of Festival ensemble concerts, times and locations is available at www.musicforall.org/festival, or for more information call (800) 848-2263.