Valley City (VCSU) The 19th annual James D. Ployhar Honor Band will perform in the Valley City State University Center for the Arts Performance Hall on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. A variety of classical and modern band literature will be performed by 95 students selected from 20 schools across North Dakota and South Dakota, featuring selections arranged by Ployhar.

“We are once again humbled by the regional support for our event,” said Jerrold Heide, festival director and music department chair. “Thanks to the efforts of directors and students, we once again offer two quality instrumental ensembles as part of the Ployhar event.”

To mark the first Ployhar event in the newly completed Center for the Arts, the event will feature two educators who were recently honored in their field.

Shawn Sudduth, professor from the University of the Cumberlands (UC), Ky. will conduct the Honor Band, which features the top instrumentalists accepted for the event. Sudduth is currently serving as Director of Music Education and Athletic Bands at UC and sponsors the UC National Association for Music Education (NAfME) chapter, which was recognized with the 2022 National Service Chapter of Excellence Award.

The Festival Band will also feature Tammy Goerger, current instrumental music teacher at Wahpeton Public Schools and the 2022 Richland County Teacher of the Year.

“We are honored with the presence of two outstanding educators for this year’s festival,” Heide added. “Both of these directors are inspirational leaders and musicians, and we are grateful for their willingness to share their time and talents with the Ployhar participants. We look forward to what is sure to be a memorable evening, and are excited to welcome these students, directors and their families to experience our beautiful campus!”

The 7 p.m. concert is free and open to the public. Please contact the VCSU Music Department at 701-845-7272 for additional information.