UNIFEST 2024

In 2017, the University of Saskatchewan Department of Music “rebooted” the Concert Band portion of UNIFEST, our long-running music festival that started in 1977. Our goal is to continue to serve the educational and musical needs of directors, and their students, through positive and meaningful performance feedback and ensemble workshops, as well as masterclasses on each individual instrument. 

Event Details:

Bands will be scheduled on a first come/first served basis. If necessary, a waiting list will be created for those wishing to be added. Each band will have a workshop with one of our clinicians. Each festival participant will also be enrolled for an instrument-specific masterclasss. These masterclasses will be led by faculty members, sessional instructors, and where appropriate, advanced music students from the Department. Thus, the total festival experience will be approximately 3 hours, start to finish. 

We are thrilled that Dr. Joseph Resendes will be our featured adjudicator. Other band clinicians include USask faculty members Dr. Mark Tse and Dr. Glen Gillis.

Bands can request (but may not be guaranteed) one of the following performance slots on November 12 or 13, in Quance Theatre:

Morning (9:00-12:00) Includes 60 minutes on stage (perform, adjudicated), and a 45-minute masterclass at noon

Afternoon (12:00-4:00) Includes 60 minutes on stage (perform, adjudicated), and a 45-minute masterclass at noon

Each band will perform a 20-minute concert set of their choosing (including set up and take down). 3 bands will listen and perform in one time slot, so each ensemble has a built-in audience.