Mayo High School hosts 91st annual Big 9 Music Festival

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Mayo High School in Rochester hosted the 91st annual Big 9 Music Festival Friday.

The festival is recognized as the longest-running music festival of its kind in the country. 20,000 student musicians from all of the 12 Big 9 schools participated.

All three of the Rochester public high schools participated. Albert Lea High School, Austin High School, Winona High School, Red Wing High School, and Mankato East and West High Schools were also among the schools that participated.

There were band, orchestra, and choir performances.

Throughout the day, students received feedback from a panel of guest clinicians, which included Assistant Professor and Director of Choral Activities at Winona State University Dr. Colleen Chester, Kelly DeMorett, an accomplished performer, educator, and conductor of the Minnesota Youth Symphonies’ Philharmonic Orchestra and Dr. Erika Svanoe, a renowned conductor and composer for wind band.

“We only took time off for Covid and World War II,” Mayo Band Director Aaron Cole said. “That’s it. It’s been going 91 times. And as far as we can tell, it is the longest still-running music festival in the entire nation. Here we are in southern Minnesota but that’s us here at the Big 9 Music Festival. These students built skills over years of time and it all leads to this wonderful moment. It takes a whole village to make a music program. All the way from the elementary level to the high school level. And we thank all those music teachers that help us get to that point.”

Audrey Klein is a Mayo High School senior. She said music has been a part of her life since she was a young girl. She has been a music teacher’s assistant for three years, teaching freshman band classes. She is also the drum major for the marching band. She plays tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Klein said. “It’s a lot of work and time, but it’s worth it. It’s really rewarding and fulfilling to see everyone perform together. It’s great that the Big 9 is at home this year.”

Another highlight of the event was a Mayo High School Orchestra piece written by Mayo High School senior Jason Ding. It is titled “Tinker’s Toy Factory.” The orchestra played it Friday morning in front of a packed crowd.

The day will culminate in a grand finale concert at Mayo High School at 7:30 p.m. This performance will feature the Big 9 Select Band, Choir, and Orchestra, comprised of top student musicians selected from each participating school. The ensembles will perform under the direction of the guest clinicians.

The public is invited to attend the concert. Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $6 for students and seniors and can be purchased online at https://mhs.rochesterschools.org/big-9-music-festival.

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