UWEC Music Educational Festivals
Experience a Day as a Blugold Music Student
UW-Eau Claire is host to a variety of music festivals for band, choir, and orchestra students. Each year we connect outstanding musicians of all ages across the region to experience immersive educational experiences with faculty and critically acclaimed guest artists. Review the information below about our annual festival style events and find out how you or your school ensemble can get involved!
Dates for our 2026-27 music festivals located below!
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is pleased to present the 33rd Annual Clearwater Choral Festival at UW-Eau Claire on October 17-18, 2025. The festival will provide high-quality, positive experiences in vocalism and musicianship to gifted high school singers. The festival features performances by various UWEC choral ensembles and student soloists. The Clearwater Festival Honor Choir will be comprised of the top vocal musicians from high schools in the upper Midwest. The two-day festival will feature three performances:
A Cappella Extravaganza
Friday, October 17 at 7:30 PM – Schofield Auditorium
From pop to renaissance, this must-see performance by our university a cappella ensembles showcases the art of a cappella singing. Our university a cappella groups are student-led and consist of both music majors and non-majors. Fifth Element, Callisto, Impromptu, Audacious, and Innocent Men. Purchase tickets online or at the UW-Eau Claire Service Center – 715.836.4636.
UWEC THEATRE MUSICAL: Young Frankenstein
Saturday, October 18 at 1:15 PM – JAMF Theatre, Pablo Center at the Confluence
Free admission - In the middle of the day, UW-Eau Claire's Theatre and Musical Theatre students will perform a FREE showing of the musical production "Young Frankenstein" for the participating students at Clearwater Choral Festival with the chance for a Q&A session afterwards.
Festival Concert
Saturday, October 18 at 7:30 PM – RCU Theatre, Pablo Center at the Confluence
Tickets available HERE
The Festival Concert concludes the weekend of choral excellence. At this concert, the Festival Honor Choir of over 200 regional high school students will showcase the repertoire they worked hard to learn during the festival day. The concert will also feature performances by our university's Concert Choir and Novum Voce, the winners of the Outstanding Soloist Awards, and the Featured Festival Choir.
Application Process
UW-Eau Claire Clearwater Choral Festival 2025 Registration Form
Directors may nominate up to ten balanced quartets (40 students total) of talented singers using the online application. Directors will be notified of selected students on a rolling admissions basis. Nominations are due Monday, September 29 (nominations will begin September 15, 2025.) Directors will be notified of selected students starting Friday, October 3.
Note: We recognize that all schools may not be able to submit balanced quartets. Please do not leave out any students because of this. Please submit all names and a selection will be made.
Repertoire
The Clearwater Choral Festival takes pride in the quality of repertoire that is selected for the festival choir each year. For the 33rd Annual Festival, the UWEC Choral Faculty has worked diligently to choose repertoire that upholds the standards of excellence we showcase in our festivals and ensembles.
"I Hear America" by André Thomas
"Quien Fuera Como El Jazmin" by Carlos Guastavin
"O Love" by Elain Hagenberg
"I'll be on My Way" Shawn Kirchner
PRACTICE TRACKS AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 5, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjDP9xAC0BKO2PpeYahofMK9N22izsQOO
Packets are ordered through using the Application Form.
Packet price for individual member: $8.10 plus shipping
The Musician's Choice, LLC
1520 North Church Road –Suite D
Liberty, MO 64068
816.781.9700
Fax: 816.781.3299
Toll Free: 888.571.6640
themusicianschoice@yahoo.com
Fees
The participation fee for each student is $32 (does not cover cost of music), and is due at or before on-site registration October 18. Participating students will receive part tracks, a complimentary digital recording of the final concert, and a Clearwater Festival T-shirt. All meals will be on your own while attending the festival. Checks for the participation fee ($32 per student) will be collected at registration and should be made payable to the UWEC Choral Area. No school purchase orders, please.
*Any students that drop after Friday, October 10th or do not attend the festival the day of will be charged only $15 per student to cover their festival t-shirt and other expenses.
Note: Ensembles are responsible for purchasing their music packets via the invoice shipped with the music. In addition, the festival price has increased by $2 to cover the purchase of the selection “I’ll Be on My Way” which is not available through Musician’s Choice. This music will be sent to directors to print for each participating student following registration.
Outstanding Vocalist Award
UW –Eau Claire Choral Festival Scholarship, $1500.00
The UW-Eau Claire Department of Music offers $1,500.00 in Choral Scholarship(s) to qualifying high school senior members of the Clearwater Festival Honor Choir. Participants must prepare a memorized classical solo for the audition. The Voice/Choral Faculty will determine scholarship recipients & outstanding vocalist(s) will perform at the Festival Concert Saturday evening. Scholarship recipients are required to participate in a choral ensemble at UW-Eau Claire during the 2026-27 academic year in order to receive the scholarship.
Outstanding Vocalist Award Adjudicators:
Christine Amon, mezzo-soprano
Emily Sternfeld-Dunn, soprano
Mark Mowry, tenor
Kenneth Pereira, baritone
Please complete the Outstanding Vocalist Award Form and submit by Monday, October 6.
UW-Eau Claire Middle School Honors Choir 2026
Thursday, January 8, 2026
Taking place at UW-Eau Claire Haas Fine Arts Center, this festival will provide singers with a high-quality, positive experience in vocalism, musicianship, and leadership. The Middle Level Honor Choirs will consist of two combined 7th and 8th grade choirs: SATB and SSA.
Application
2026 UWEC Middle School Honor Choir Application
Directors may nominate talented seventh and eighth grade singers using the online application – representation from each voice part (SATB) preferred. Nominations are due Wednesday, December 10, 2025. Directors will be notified of selected students December 12th, 2025.
Festival Layout
Registration begins at 8:15 am in the Haas Fine Arts Lobby
Rehearsal begins at 9:00 am
Concert 6:00 pm - $9.00 general admission | Gantner Concert Hall
Repertoire
SATB CHOIR REPERTOIRE:
Xicochi - Fernandes (SATB)
The Water is Wide - Walz (2 part)
Ticket to the Kingdom - Moore (SATB)
Be the Change - Kaplan and Britt (SATB)
TREBLE CHOIR REPERTOIRE:
Die Meere - Brahms
Music of Life - B.E. Boykin (SSA)
Tyger - Elaine Hagenburg (SA)
Be the Change - Kaplan and Britt (SATB)
Practice Tracks: FOUND HERE
Fees
The registration fee is $30.00 per student (no cost for directors) and is payable at registration. The registration fee does not cover the cost of music. Participating students will receive a commemorative Honor Choir T-shirt, part tracks, and a pizza dinner. Each school will receive an audio recording of the concert. Registration fee ($30 per student) will be collected at registration and should be made payable to the UW-Eau Claire Choral Area. No school purchase orders please.
Note: Participants are responsible for purchasing their music packets via the invoice shipped with the music through Musician’s Choice.
Music Packets are ordered through the Application Form.
Packet price for individual member:$12.20 plus shipping
The Musician's Choice, LLC
1520 North Church Road –Suite D
Liberty, MO 64068
816.781.9700
Fax: 816.781.3299
Toll Free: 888.571.6640
themusicianschoice@yahoo.com
*Please contact us five days prior to the festival if a registered student cannot attend the festival in order to receive a full refund. No refunds will be issued after this date.
Questions? Contact Danika Trzebiatowski, Choral Area Assistant (trzebida4442@uwec.edu)
UW-Eau Claire Tenor-Bass Festival 2026
Thursday, February 19, 2026
This all-day festival will offer students a space to learn and perform within a tenor-bass specific ensemble with singers from across the region. Students will sing repertoire fit for the tenor-bass voice in a supportive and fun atmosphere, and will have the opportunity to participate in side-by-side rehearsals and performance with UWEC's Singing Statesmen and our featured guest conductor, Kevin Kriegel. Together, students will learn pieces that are immediately accessible and musically rewarding while experiencing what it is like to sing in a collegiate tenor-bass ensemble.
Application
2026 UWEC Tenor-Bass Festival Application
Directors may nominate up to 32 talented singers using the online application. Directors will be notified of selected students prior to the festival. Applications are due Friday, January 16, 2026. Directors will be notified of selected students January 21st, 2026.
Festival Layout
Each school will bring tenors/basses from their high school ensembles. Students will spend the day rehearsing excellent repertoire, alone and with the Singing Statesmen. The day will consist of break-out sectionals and team-building activities and end with a 4pm final concert.
CONCERT TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
Repertoire
Sing Gently - Eric Whitacre, TBB and piano
Ad Astra - Jacob Narverud, TBB and piano
Walk a Mile - arr. Mark Hayes, TTBB
Learning Tracks can be found HERE
Fees
The registration fee is $30 per student and is payable at registration February 19, 2026. Checks should be made payable to the UW-Eau Claire Choral Area; we are unable to accept purchase orders. he registration fee covers the Festival T-shirt, part tracks, concert recording, and morning snacks. Lunch and dinner is on your own in Eau Claire (or bring a bagged lunch to eat on campus).
Note: Participants are responsible for purchasing their music packets via the invoice shipped with the music through Musician’s Choice.
Packets are ordered through using the Application Form.
Packet price for individual member: $8.10 plus shipping
The Musician's Choice, LLC
1520 North Church Road –Suite D
Liberty, MO 64068
816.781.9700
Fax: 816.781.3299
Toll Free: 888.571.6640
themusicianschoice@yahoo.com
**Please contact us five days prior to the festival if a registered student cannot attend the festival in order to receive a full refund. No refunds will be issued after this date.
Questions? Contact Danika Trzebiatowski, Choral Area Assistant (trzebida4442@uwec.edu)
KEVIN KRIEGEL, GUEST CONDUCTOR
Dr. Kevin Kriegel is currently the Artistic Director of the Madison Chamber Choir, and has spent over 30 years as a performer, conductor, and music educator, most recently at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Milwaukee. Prior to those positions, Kevin was Director of Choral Activities at Glendale Community College in Glendale, Arizona. Under his leadership, the Glendale Community College choirs performed several major works including Mozart’s Requiem and Vesperae solennes de confessore, Ola Gjeilo's Sunrise Mass, Faure’s Requiem, Haydn’s Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and Schubert’s Mass in G. Kevin has also served on faculty at Augustana College, Quincy University, and Idaho State University.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Kevin began his tenure with the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale in 2007. From 2014-2019 he served the Chorale as Assistant Conductor. As a tenor in the Chorale, Kevin has appeared on the Grammy-winning recording, Rachmaninoff’s All-night Vigil, and on Northern Lights: Choral works of Ola Gjeilo.
Kevin received his DMA and MA degrees in Choral Conducting from the University of Iowa and his Bachelor of Arts degree in K-12 Vocal Music Education from Central College.
UW-Eau Claire Treble Choir Festival 2026
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Taking place at the UW-Eau Claire Haas Fine Arts Center, this one-day festival brings together talented high school treble singers from across the region! The UW-Eau Claire Treble Choir Festival provides a platform for choral singers to showcase their skills and learn from experienced conductors in a safe and affirming environment. With a focus on promoting life-long singing, and the celebration of music written specifically for treble singers, the UW-Eau Claire Treble Choir Festival is a must-attend event for singers passionate about choral music.
Each school will bring treble vocalists from their high school ensembles. Students will spend the day rehearsing excellent repertoire, alone and with Women’s Concert Chorale. The day will consist of break-out sectionals and team-building activities and end with a final concert.
Application
2026 UWEC Treble Choir Festival Application
Applications are due Wednesday, January 28th, 2026. Directors will be notified of selected students January 30th, 2026. Directors may nominate talented treble singers using the online application.
Festival Layout
8:00am Student Registration – Lobby – Haas Fine Arts Center (HFA)
9:00am Rehearsal & sectionals
12:30pm LUNCH (on your own)
3:15pm PERFORMANCE EXCHANGE – Gantner Concert Hall
Repertoire
“Will the Circle Be Unbroken” by J. David Moore, SSAA
“The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by Eleanor Daley, SSA
“Away from the Roll of the Sea” by Allister MacGillivray, SSA
Learning Tracks can be found HERE
Fees
The registration fee is $30 per student and is payable at registration March 3, 2026. Checks should be made payable to the UW-Eau Claire Choral Area; we are unable to accept purchase orders. Registration fees provide singers with part tracks, snacks throughout the day, a concert recording, and a festival T-shirt to be worn during the event and the final concert. Lunch is on your own in Eau Claire (or bring a bagged lunch to eat on campus).
Note: Participants are responsible for purchasing their music packets via the invoice shipped with the music through Musician’s Choice.
Music Packets are ordered through the Application Form.
Packet price for individual member:$8.95 plus shipping
The Musician's Choice, LLC
1520 North Church Road –Suite D
Liberty, MO 64068
816.781.9700
Fax: 816.781.3299
Toll Free: 888.571.6640
themusicianschoice@yahoo.com
**Please contact us five days prior to the festival if a registered student cannot attend the festival in order to receive a full refund. No refunds will be issued after this date.
Questions? Contact Danika Trzebiatowski, Choral Area Assistant (trzebida4442@uwec.edu)
Upper Midwest Trombone Summit
DATE: Sunday, October 12, 2025
LOCATION: Haas Fine Arts Center (121 Water Street Eau Claire, WI 54703)
ABOUT: Gather with fellow trombonists in Haas Fine Arts Center for the 11th Upper Midwest Trombone Summit. Every year we have multiple guest artists come to this event to share their talent. Not only will you get to practice and perform with various ensembles, you'll also get to experience vendor instrument exhibits and breakout sessions with visiting faculty.
SCHEDULE:
October 11, 2025 – Haas Fine Arts | Gantner Concert Hall
- 7:30PM Alex Iles Recital Rehearsal
October 12, 2025
- 9:30 AM Group Warm Up – Gantner Concert Hall
- 10:00 AM Reading Session – Gantner Concert Hall
High School Trombone Ensemble – HFA143 (w/ Dr. Kara Metzger)
Faculty Trombone Ensemble – HFA139 - 10:30 AM Coachings
Lawrence – HFA160
UMN-Twin Cities - HFA126
UWEC – HFA139
UMN-Duluth – Phillips Recital hall
UWW – Gantner Concert Hall
Concordia Moorhead – HFA 159 - 11:15 AM Breakout Sessions (additional sessions tbd)
Jam Session by Tim Albright – Gantner Hall
"Choosing an Instrument" by Keith Hilson – Phillips Recital Hall
"Practice Strategies on the Flowframe App" by Mike Clayville - HFA160
Practice strategies on: https://flowframe.app/ - 12:00 PM Lunch (on your own)
- 1:15 PM Alex Iles Recital – Gantner Concert Hall
- 2:00 PM Alex Iles Masterclass – Gantner Concert Hall
- 2:30 PM UWEC Alumni Trombone Choir Rehearsal – HFA139
- 2:45 PM High School Ensemble Rehearsal – HFA143
- 4:00 PM Massed Ensemble Rehearsal – Gantner Concert Hall
- 4:45 PM High School Trombone Ensemble Performance – Gantner Concert Hall
- 5:00 PM Final Concert: Alumni, UWEC, UMN-Duluth, C-M, UWW, UMN-Twin Cities, LU, Faculty, Massed
REGISTRATION: Interested High and Middle School students – please fill out the following form: https://forms.office.com/r/bYsTPdjy4y
The All-Star Middle and High School Ensemble will be led by Dr. Kara Metzger, director of the UWEC Blugold Marching Band. Music, Schedule and Permission forms will be emailed to students one month prior to the summit.
UWEC Trombone Alumni interested in performing with the alumni trombone ensemble – please email Dr. Ostrander
FESTIVAL CONTACT:
Dr. Phillip Ostrander
ostranpa@uwec.edu
GUEST ARTIST: ALEX ILES
Alex has established himself as a very in-demand trombonist/low brass performer, recording artist and educator. Among the varied palette of artists with whom Alex has performed and/or recorded are: Joe Cocker, James Horner, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Alan Jackson, Zubin Mehta, Kid Cudi, The Tonight Show, Sir Neville Marriner, Hans Zimmer, Johnny Mathis, Lalo Shifrin, Natalie Cole, Meghan Trainor, Jeffrey Kahane, Danny Elfman, Ray Charles, Trevor Rabin, Harry Connick, Jr., Henry Mancini, Josh Grobin, John Zorn, Terence Blanchard, Barbra Streisand, John Williams, Fallout Boy, Thomas Ades, Neil Young, Johnny Mandel, Paul McCartney, and Prince.
Alex has toured as lead and solo jazz trombonist with Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson. He has performed and recorded as a regular member of many of the top big bands and jazz groups in the Los Angeles area including Pacific Jazz Orchestra, Bob Florence’s Limited Edition, Tom Kubis Big Band and he was an original member of Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. He has performed on The Motion Picture Academy Awards, The Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, The People’s Choice Awards and hundreds of television series and motion picture soundtracks including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rogue One, Frozen, La La Land, Up, The Incredibles, X-Men, Secret Life of Pets, Avatar, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., LOST, and Transformers.
In October, 2002 Alex was appointed principal trombonist of the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pasadena Symphony and the L.A. Chamber Orchestra. In 2014, Alex became a regular member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
Alex has been a faculty trombone and jazz instructor at the California Institute of the Arts, Azusa Pacific University and California State University, Northridge. He has appeared as a recitalist, guest soloist, and clinician at schools and organizations throughout the United States, including Indiana University, Oklahoma State University, The University of Southern California, Texas Christian University and has appeared numerous times as soloist and given masterclasses at the International Trombone Festival.
Alex serves on the executive board of GlobalArts, an organization based in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles that offers music education to underserved youth.
UW- Eau Claire OctOBOEFest and BASSOON Spooktacular 2025
Sunday, October 26, 1-5pm
Join oboist Dr. Christa Garvey and bassoonist Dr. Alex Widstrand for a thrilling afternoon celebrating double reed instruments! ALL ages and players of all levels are welcome. Collaborate alongside UWEC faculty and students, attend reed workshops and masterclasses, get inspired by exciting performances, and participate in a final large double reed ensemble.
Fee: $30, covers all materials and snacks. Payable by cash or check to UWEC at time of event.
Registration form (Priority registration by Oct. 16th)
Final concert: Reading session begins 4pm, with all participants encouraged to perform in Halloween Costumes and is free to audience members. Free to attend and open to the public!
CONTACT:
Dr. Christa Garvey
Professor of Music - oboe
garveycn@uwec.edu
UWEC High School Honor Band, Op. 59
DATE: Saturday, November 8, 2025
LOCATION: The Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701)
TIMES: Registration begins at 7:30am in the lobby of the Confluence Center. The concert begins at 7pm in RCU Concert Hall.
BANDS: The 2025 UW Eau Claire Honor Band will consist of Four High School Concert Bands. We will have two 9th-10th Grade Bands and two 11th-12th Grade Bands.
APPLICATION: 2025 High School Honor Band Application
APPLICATION PROCESS: Directors will nominate students using the online application. Applications are due Wednesday, October 1, 2025. Directors will be notified of selected students by Friday, October 17, 2025. We encourage directors to nominate students in grades 9 through 12.
GUEST ARTISTS/CONDUCTORS: Each year Honor Band participants have the opportunity to collaborate with UW Eau Claire studio faculty member in masterclasses and collaborate with MUED Majors in sectionals. Dr. John R. Stewart, Dr. Phillip Ostrander, and Dr. Kara Metzger will serve as guest conductors for the 2025 High School Honor Bands.
FEES: The participation fee is $40 per student (no cost for directors) and is payable at registration on November 8th. Participating students will receive a catered lunch, an audio recording of the Honor Band Concert and a UW Eau Claire Honor Band t-shirt. No school purchase orders please. Concert tickets for the concert can be purchased online at this link.
QUESTIONS: Contact Dr. John R. Stewart, Director of Concert Bands (stewajo@uwec.edu) or our Band Student Assistant (bands@uwec.edu)
UW-Eau Claire Middle School Honor Band, Op. 9
The annual Middle School Honor Band features performances by 300+ talented 7th and 8th grade musicians from over 50+ schools across the upper Midwest. Student participants are selected, through director nomination, and spend the day rehearsing and learning from UWEC Music Faculty, guest conductors, and students.
Date: Friday, January 23, 2026
Location: Gantner Concert Hall - Haas Fine Arts Center (121 Water Street, Eau Claire, WI 54702)
Schedule: Registration begins 8:00am - Haas Fine Arts Lobby
9am - 10:50am - Rehearsals
11-11:30am - Masterclasses
11:30-12:30 - Lunch on your Own
12:30 - 4:30pm - Rehearsals and Sectionals
4:30-5:45pm - Dinner Provided
6pm - Concert - Blugold Band - Dr. Stewart ($9.00 general admission)
6:30pm - Concert - Blue Band - Dr. Ostrander ($9.00 general admission)
7pm - Concert - White Band - Mr. Gleason ($9.00 general admission)
7:30pm - Concert - Gold Band, Mr. Bever ($9.00 general admission)
Bands: The 2026 UWEC Middle School Honor Band will consist of four combined 7th and 8th Grade Concert Bands.
Application: 2026 UWEC Middle School Honor Band Application
Application Process: Directors will nominate talented 7th and 8th Grade Band students using the online application. Applications are due on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. Directors will be notified of selected students starting on Friday, December 12, 2025.
Guest Artists/Clinicians: Dr. John R. Stewart, Director of Concert Bands, and Dr. Phil Ostrander will serve as the guest conductors for the 2026 Middle School Honor Bands.
Fees: The participation fee is $40 per student (no cost for directors) and is payable upon registration on January 23, 2026. Participating students will receive an audio recording of the Honor Band Concert, an Honor Band t-shirt, and pizza dinner will be provided. Checks can be paid to UWEC Bands. No school purchase orders please.
Questions: Contact Dr. John R. Stewart, Director of Concert Bands (stewajo@uwec.edu)
UWEC Concert Band Festival and Concert Band Showcase
Date: April 7, 2026
Location: The Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701)
About: The UW – Eau Claire Concert Band Festival is a non-competitive event where bands perform on the RCU Theatre stage, receive written and verbal feedback from UW – Eau Claire Band Faculty, guest artists, and a 30-minute clinic. Participating bands are encouraged to be in the audience for two performances throughout the day. The day will conclude with the UWEC Concert Band Showcase Concert. This clinic festival may be used to fulfill the WSMA Large Group Festival requirement.
UW – Eau Claire will provide the following equipment on the RCU Stage for your performance (Please bring your own mallets)
- Musician Chairs and Stands
- Conductor Podium and Stand
- 4 timpani (5th is available if requested)
- Bass Drum
- Tam-Tam
- Vibraphone
- Xylophone
- Chimes
- Glockenspiel
- Marimba
- Crotales
- Piano (if requested)
Groups will Receive:
- Written and recorded feedback
- One-on-one clinic
- Professional audio and video recording of performance
Registration: Registration is $300 per band. Registration will begin on May 2025, click here to register. Space is limited, so register early. Checks payable to UWEC Bands. To secure your registration, payment must be received by March 7, 2026.
Deadlines: Program info and Seating Diagrams are due by March 1st, 2026
Sample Participant Schedule:
9am – Warmup
9:30am – Performance on RCU Stage
10am – Clinic in JAMF Theatre
10:30am – Pack up instruments.
11am – Watch fellow participant performance.
12pm – Lunch on our own
7:30pm – UW – Eau Claire Concert Band Showcase Concert featuring perofrmances by the University Band, Symphony Band, and Wind Symphony.
Guest Artist/Clinicians:
Dr. John R. Stewart is Professor of Music and Director of Concert Bands at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire where he conducts the Wind Symphony, teaches courses in conducting and repertoire, supervises student teachers, coordinates the concert band program, and serves as the Wind and Percussion Division Coordinator. Under his leadership, the Wind Symphony has performed at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference, the CBDNA/NBA North Central Division Regional Conference, the Minnesota Music Educators Association Mid-Winter Clinic, and his ensembles have performed across Europe and Southeast Asia. Dr. Stewart maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and clinician across the United States. He completed his Doctorate of Philosophy in Music Education (2013) at the University of Minnesota while studying conducting with Craig Kirchhoff. Dr. Stewart earned his Master of Arts in Music Education from the University of South Florida (2009) and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Central Florida (1996).
Prior to his appointment at UWEC, Dr. Stewart was Interim Conductor of the St. Cloud State University Wind Ensemble (Minnesota). Dr. Stewart served as Director of Bands at Saint Cloud High School (Florida) from 1996-2010 where he directed the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Winds, Percussion Ensemble and Marching Band. In 2006, he earned his National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and in 2008 was named the St. Cloud High School "Teacher of the Year."
Dr. Stewart contributed to Teaching Music through Performance in Band: Solos with Wind Band Accompaniment published by GIA Publications, Inc., has published articles in Contributions to Music Education, the Minnesota Music Educators Association Journal, and has presented sessions at the Society for Music Teacher Educators bi-annual conference, the Wisconsin Music Educators Association State Conference, the National Band Association – Wisconsin Chapter State Conference, and the MMEA Mid-Winter Clinic. Forthcoming presentations include the Florida Music Educators Association Convention, the Colorado Music Educators Association Convention and the NBA – Wisconsin Convention in 2020. His current research interests include Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) and repertoire.
Dr. Stewart presently serves as a member of the board for the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Band Association, and is on the commissioning committee for the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles. His professional affiliations include College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, Wisconsin Music Educators Association, the National Band Association, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles, and Pi Kappa Lambda.
Dr. Phillip Ostrander is Professor of Trombone and Bands at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire where he conducts the Symphony Band, teaches private trombone, and trombone ensemble. Dr. Ostrander completed his doctoral studies at the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Ostrander received master's degrees in both trombone and wind conducting from the New England Conservatory, as well as a bachelor's and Performer's Certificate from Eastman. Dr. Ostrander champions diversity in repertoire with the UWEC Symphony Band. The band performs music composed by under-represented composers in every concert, and since 2017, the ensemble’s first concert of the year celebrates music written by female composers. The ensemble tours to a middle or high school with a diverse student population every year to perform and collaborate.
He has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Kansas City Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the popular chamber groups Rhythm and Brass and the Burning River Brass Ensemble. Currently, he is a member of the IRIS Chamber Orchestra in Memphis, Tennessee under Michael Stern and also Principal Trombone of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra. He performs in Broadway shows regularly at the Orpheum and State theatres in Minneapolis. An accomplished jazz trombonist, Dr. Ostrander has collaborated with jazz artists Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely, Jimmy Heath, Claudio Roditi and Rich Beirach. He teaches jazz and created the Trombone Workshop at the Shell Lake Arts Camp in northern Wisconsin. He has recorded on Sony Classical with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Naxos with the IRIS Orchestra. Dr. Ostrander is a clinician for the Conn-Selmer Musical Instrument Company.
Questions: Contact Dr. John R. Stewart, Director of Concert Bands (stewajo@uwec.edu) or 715-836-4417
The 2026 Eau Claire Jazz Festival
Friday & Saturday April 17th-18th, 2026
The Eau Claire Jazz Festival is a regional music festival, dedicated to educating, entertaining and promoting jazz. Since 1967, the Eau Claire Jazz Festival has maintained a standard of excellence in jazz education and performance. This educational and cultural jazz festival has earned its distinction as one of the oldest and largest events by providing local, national and international artists the opportunity to showcase their creative work and by highlighting the enduring elements and important directions in this distinctly American music. Furthermore, the Eau Claire Jazz Festival is the largest student run festival in the United States. With a board made of community members to oversee, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire students perform all duties needed in order to support the festival making it one of a kind.
eAU cLAIRE JAZZ FESTIVAL WEBSITE
FESTIVAL EVENTS
Jazz Crawl | Friday April 17th | Barstow Street Eau Claire, WI
Jazz Crawl is the transformation of downtown Eau Claire into a New York jazz scene. Here, you can explore over 40 exceptional music groups at 17 different venues (all-ages and 21+). This year, our groups will be featuring a variety of music styles including ragtime, blues, acoustic, and big band. Join over 3,000 people and enjoy this once a year celebration!
Explore over 25 indoor/outdoor venues for just a $20 wristband. ($25 week of) Children 10 and under are FREE. Proceeds support our Eau Claire Jazz Festival educational programs.
Concert Series | April 17th-18th | Pablo Center
Join us for an incomparable weekend of jazz! On the evenings of April 11th and 12th, GRAMMY-nominated UW-Eau Claire Jazz I will perform with two internationally-acclaimed guest artists.
Master Classes & Student Sessions | April 17th-18th | UWEC Campus
Once a year, we are humbled by the time and energy our iconic jazz artists offer visiting students through the Eau Claire Jazz Master Classes. Both students and educators find exceptional value in the insight our world-class jazz masters share through their presentations, performance, and Q&A session. Be ready with questions or just be ready to be blown away. Our Master Classes do not disappoint!
Jazz students have been learning and growing at the Eau Claire Jazz Festival for decades. This year is even more dynamic than ever before. We've paired an impressive roster of adjudicators along with some of the most inspiring jazz icons to create an exceptional experience for your schools.
Hosted by Eau Claire Jazz Inc.
The mission of Eau Claire Jazz Inc. is to inspire, educate and entertain. We create a vibrant, growing community which celebrates high-quality Jazz music through engaging performances and investments in Jazz education to build the future of this unique, original American art form. In the tradition of luminaries who made northwestern Wisconsin an inspirational center for Jazz education for decades, ECJI's vision is to extend the reach of its word-class Jazz experiences to new local, regional, and national audiences. Through deeper partnerships with UW-Eau Claire, our community and music educators at all levels, ECJI will maintain and enhance the quality of our annual events, invest in the success of UW-Eau Claire's Jazz Studies program and establish new performance and educational opportunities to carry the torch of Jazz to the next generation of performers, musicians, and audiences.
Join 60+ talented high school musicians from the upper Midwest at the 2025 UWEC Honors Orchestra!
Students spend the day rehearsing in the Honors Orchestra, participating in master classes with UWEC faculty, and sectionals with UWEC MUED Majors. The day will conclude with a free concert in Gantner Concert Hall in the Haas Fine Arts Center! Directors nominate students using the online application. Applications are due Wednesday, September 3, 2025. Directors will be notified of selected students starting Monday, September 8, 2025. We encourage directors to nominate deserving student musicians in grades 9 through 12. Registration fees ($32/student) are due the day of the festival.
Registration form available by contacting:
Nobuyoshi Yasuda, orchestra director
yasudan@uwec.edu
Join us Saturday, October 25th in the Haas Fine Arts Center from 9:30am to 6pm for the Violin and Viola Festival! Work with Dr. Christine Harada Li to improve your technique, musical expression, and interpretation!
Final concert will take place at 5pm in Gantner Concert Hall (free and open to the public!)
Faculty:
Dr. Christine Harada Li, UWEC Violin and Viola Professor
Ilana Setapen, First Associate Concertmaster of Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Tuition: $40 due at registration
Application form: CLICK HERE
Application deadline EXTENDED: October 23, 2025 at 5pm
CONTACT
Christine Harada Li, DMA
Assistant Professor of Violin
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
lichris@uwec.edu
GUEST ARTIST: Ilana Stetapen
(First Associate Concertmaster, Thora M. Vervoren First Associate Concertmaster Chair, First Violin)
Since her solo orchestral debut at age 15, Ilana Setapen has been flourishing as a violinist with a powerful and original voice. She is hailed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as a violinist with “a sparkling sound” and “the kind of control that puts an audience completely at ease.” She is currently the First Associate Concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
In recent seasons Setapen has had solo performances with the Milwaukee Symphony, Festival City Symphony, and the Amarillo Symphony, among others. Since winning her job in the Milwaukee Symphony in 2009, she has been offered a solo every season. She
also held the Assistant Concertmaster position of the Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra in Chicago for 6 years and is a favorite guest concertmaster with the Chicago Philharmonic. In recent summers she has performed at the Olympic Music Festival on Bainbridge Island and the Lakes Area Music Festival in Brainerd, Minnesota. She has also taught and performed as faculty at Center Stage Strings at the University of Michigan and the Luzerne Music Center summer festival in Lake Luzerne, New York.
At the age of 21, Setapen won the concertmaster position of the Riverside Philharmonic in Los Angeles. She has also held concertmaster positions with the Juilliard Orchestra, the Colburn Orchestra, the American Youth Symphony, the National Repertory Orchestra, and the USC Thornton Symphony.
Also a committed chamber musician, Setapen is in demand as a collaborator throughout the midwest. She is a frequent guest on the Frankly Music Series, and she performs with colleague Margot Schwartz in the duo Bowing Rogue. Her talent has led her to collaborations with such distinguished artists as Ron Leonard, Lynn Harrell, Toby Appel, Cynthia Phelps, Joseph Kalichstein, Robert DeMaine, Paul Coletti, the Fine Arts Quartet, Stefan Hersh, David Geber, and Joan Tower. Solo and chamber music performances have brought her abroad to China, France, Brazil, Holland, England, Monaco, and Italy.
Setapen grew up in Amarillo, Texas. She comes from a musical family: her father is a conductor and her first violin teacher was her mother, Carol. She was a student of Robert Lipsett both at the University of Southern California and at the Colburn Conservatory. She received her Master of Music Degree from the Juilliard School as a student of Donald Weilerstein and Ronald Copes. Also a dedicated educator, she teaches privately as well as at the successful Advanced Chamber Music Institute at the Wisconsin
Conservatory. In her spare time Setapen enjoys spending time with her husband and young son, cooking, and swing dancing.
When: Saturday, November 1st, 2025 | 9am-6pm
Where: Haas Fine Arts Center, 121 Water St, Eau Claire, WI 54703
Additional Details: There will be a registration fee for student participants to cover lunch and student assistants.
UW-Eau Claire double bass professor Dr. Joshua Schwalbach is very excited to announce the third annual UWEC Bass Day! This is an opportunity for bassists of all ages and abilities to come together on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus to learn from one another and enjoy playing the double bass together. Dr. Schwalbach will send out Bass Orchestra music ahead of time so that students will have the opportunity to practice.
This event will feature clinics, performances, and masterclasses from:
Kurt Muroki (Indiana University professor of double bass)
Jeremy Boettcher (jazz bassist) – sponsored by the UW-Eau Claire Jazz Studies Area
UWEC alum Hannah Sternberg (Orchestra Director at Kettle Moraine High School, instructor at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music)
UWEC students and faculty
Two options for attendance:
- A half-day session ($15) from 1:00pm to approximately 6:00pm geared toward younger bassists. This session will feature a performance by guest artists and UWEC students, a clinic with UWEC alum Hannah Sternberg, and a performance with a Bass Orchestra.
- A full-day session ($40) from 9:00am to approximately 6:00pm geared toward more advanced bassists and college students. This session will feature a technique class with Kurt Muroki, a jazz clinic with Jeremy Boettcher, masterclasses, and performances that are also part of the half-day session. The day will conclude with all participants playing together for the Bass Orchestra performance.
TEACHERS: If you have any current or former students who may be interested in this event, please share the information below so that they can mark it in their calendars. Please also share this with other teachers you know. Teachers may observe or participate in either session free of charge, but please still register so that the host can get an accurate head count for the day.
REGISTRATION: All interested students and teachers please register by October 25th: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6KAkEHM2sjh3a4Z-t09wOSbceh4lYxn_tUyvIIVF3n1hZxw/viewform
Questions? Contact Dr. Joshua Schwalbach at schwaljj@uwec.edu
The University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire 12th edition of Cellopalooza!
Cellopalooza is the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire cello festival. An event dedicated to celebrate the violoncello, the BEST instrument in the world! Cellopalooza will have masterclasses, clinics, and concerts. Our faculty this year includes, UWEC violoncello professor Dr. Tulio Rondón, Professor Dean Langby, and guest artists Dr. Nathaniel Pierce.
This event is for all cellists, elementary through college level, as well as amateur cellists of all ages. Simply register online.
Tuition: $40
Registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRV3pL5aCvm790W68AXe-t-sM1CawpnK1pqN-LwWo6ArN7oA/viewform
Contact:
Dr. Tulio Rondon
Professor of Violoncello
rondontj@uwec.edu
Cellopalooza 2025 is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
SAVE THE DATE (2026-27 UW-Eau Claire Music Festivals)
- Saturday, September 19th, 2026 | Honors Orchestra
- Saturday, October 17th, 2026 | 34th Annual Clearwater Choral Festival
- Saturday, October 31st, 2026 | Double Bass Day
- Saturday, November 7th, 2026 | High School Honor Band Op. 60
- Thursday, January 14th, 2027 | Middle School Honor Choir
- Friday, January 22nd, 2027 | Middle School Honor Band Op. 10
- Sunday, February 14th, 2027 | Woodwind Day
- Thursday, February 18th, 2027 | Tenor-Bass Choir Festival
- Tuesday, March 2nd, 2027 | Treble Choir Festival
- Tuesday, April 6th, 2027 | Concert Band Festival
- Friday/Saturday, April 16-17th, 2027 | Eau Claire Jazz Festival
- April 24-25th, 2027 | Alumni Band Weekend