Home

Festival of Winds

The 18th Annual Festival of Winds | February 12-14, 2026

We are excited to announce our 18th Annual Festival of Winds at CSU Pueblo! The festival will be held Feb 12-14, 2026. We will be continuing this year with recorded auditions so students can be assigned parts and sent music in advance of the festival. We believe this continued change will help to deepen the music-making and enrich the student experience for the festival. For your awareness, please see our timeline below. The fee is $60 per student.

Oct. 31st - Audition Due (Tentative)

Nov. 6th- Notification of selection sent to directors

Dec 4th- Registration fee due

Contact Dr. Brett Keating at brett.keating@csupueblo.edu or Ms. Amanda Burk at amanda.burk@csupueblo.edu for more information.

Student Registration and Audition Submission Link

General Information

The CSU Pueblo Festival of Winds has continued to grow in size and participation from the very beginning. Starting with just one honor band in 2009, the Festival has expanded to include four directors recommended honor bands by its sixth year, with more than 360 high school students representing high schools across Colorado and neighboring states.

The philosophy of the festival is based on the idea that band directors from all high schools know who their deserving students are. Therefore, we leave it up to the high school band directors to recommend up to 15 students for participation. All directors who submit names are ensured to have at least two students selected for participation, with a small caveat that if only one or two students are recommended, they might not be selected depending on instrumentation needs and age of students.

Selected students are then given performance materials to prepare for their audition, which takes place at the start of the festival. Those students who rate highest in the audition process are placed in one of two Wind Orchestra. Students who are not selected for the Wind Orchestra are placed in one of two Symphonic Bands, which are equally weighted in ability based on audition results.

However, this is not just a University Honor Band weekend. This Festival of Winds enriches the experience for all students through small group rehearsals and masterclasses with our CSU Pueblo applied faculty and all participants enjoy a weekend concert series. Past performances have included the Fountain Creek Brass Band, The United States Air Force Academy Band, a CSU Pueblo Faculty Recital, and performances by the University Wind Ensemble.

Each year, the Festival of Winds also brings in notable national and international guest clinicians to conduct each of the honor bands.
Payment Information

To pay with card: call Chad Beery, CSU Pueblo Music Department Administrative Assistant, at 719-549-2809

To pay with check: make check payable to CSU Pueblo -FoW

address envelope as:

CSU Pueblo Department of Music

Attn:Chad Beery

2200 Bonforte Blvd

Pueblo, CO, 81001

Meet the February 2026 Honor Band Conductors

Dr. David A. Waybright

david

Dr. David A. Waybright received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees at Marshall University and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in orchestral conducting from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He taught initially at Wahama High School in Mason, West Virginia and since that time has served as Director of Bands at Ferrum College, Plymouth State College, and Director of Bands and Orchestra at McNeese State University. Dr. Waybright is currently Director of Bands at the University of Florida, where he holds the rank of professor and is the head of the conducting area. He directs the wind symphony and supervises the band program and the graduate and undergraduate conducting curricula. Dr. Waybright is in demand as a guest conductor and clinician with wind bands, orchestras, and choirs, and has appeared in that capacity in most of the 50 states, throughout Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. He has held residencies at many of the nation's leading music schools. In addition, he is active in the commissioning and performance of new music and has won the praise of composers such as Dana Wilson, Michael Torke, Donald Grantham, John Corigliano and Leslie Bassett for his interpretation of their works.

There are many recordings available featuring the University of Florida Wind Symphony under his direction. He is founder and principal conductor for the American Chamber Winds, a professional touring and recording ensemble. Dr. Waybright is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association where he has served on the Board of Directors for two terms and is a Past President of the organization. (2013-14) He is a lifetime member of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. He is also a member of the College Band Director's National Association, Music Educators National Convention and Florida Music Educators Association. Ensembles under his direction have performed invited concerts at conferences sponsored by all of those organizations. Dr. Waybright is also a member of Pi Kappa Lambda and an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha, Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi. He is a National Arts Associate honorary of Sigma Alpha Iota.

Discover CSU Pueblo

Request more information about our degree programs, activities, sports, application process, and more!

Request Information

Advising

The PACK Center and HSB Advising are available to assist you. Stop by or call for support. PACK: 719-549-2584, HSB: 719-549-2142, & Online: 719-549-2200.

Music, B.A.