67th ANNUAL ALL-STATE BAND TO FEATURE SOUTH DAKOTA’S TOP HIGH SCHOOL BAND MUSICIANS
The sixty-seventh annual South Dakota All-State Band Concert will be held at the Lorang Theatre at O’Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, SD on Saturday, March 25th. Each year, the All-State Band brings together South Dakota's most talented high school instrumental musicians and provides an opportunity for students to practice and perform under the direction of conductors who may be recognized around the world. The students participating in the 2017 All-State Band were selected through statewide competitive auditions that were held at five sites during the month of January. The 2017 All-State Band is made up of 178 students from 45 high schools.
The members of the All-State Band have been divided into two equal bands, with each band being directed by its own guest conductor. The smaller bands have been named after two of the most prominent names from South Dakota history, Lewis and Clark. The Lewis Band will be directed by Dr. Myron Welch from the University of Iowa, and the Clark Band will be directed by Dr. Elva Kaye Lance from Mississippi State University.
The Lewis Band will perform on Saturday, March 25th beginning at 4:00 p.m., followed by the Clark Band. Ten minutes prior to the concert, special awards will be presented by the South Dakota Bandmasters Association, and the Phi Beta Mu honorary music group. The South Dakota Bandmasters will be inducting Arlen Hofer into their Hall of Fame.
The doors to the concert will open at 2:00 p.m. All tickets for the All-State Concert are general admission. The ticket price will be $15 for adults and $10 for high school and elementary students.