Choir and orchestra students from academies and high schools throughout the Northwest and beyond will gather at Walla Walla University March 2–5, 2016, for the WWU spring Choir and Orchestra Festival.

“This event is an opportunity for students from different schools to come together and form large choir or orchestra ensembles and to perform significant music together, learning new techniques and skills to become better individual and ensemble musicians,” said Brandon Beck, associate professor of music and orchestra event coordinator.

Benjamin Gish, Walla Walla Valley Academy string orchestra director, will join Beck as a guest clinician for the orchestra ensemble. Kraig Scott, professor of music, will coordinate the choir portion of the event.

The WWU Department of Music annually organizes choir and orchestra festivals to provide high school students exposure to a college-level music program. “We hope the participants learn more about their instrument, whether it’s their voice or a string instrument, making them excited about their music so they can go back and enrich the programs they are involved in,” said Beck.

As part of the festival, the University Singers and the University Orchestra will perform for festival participants on Thursday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m. Festival participants will perform on Saturday, March 5, at 4 p.m., and the performance will be livestreamed at wallawalla.edu/concert. Both performances are free and open to the public and will be held in the University Church, 212 SW Fourth St., College Place.

Posted Feb. 18, 2016