University of Iowa Bands

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University of Iowa Bands

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University of Iowa Bands is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Division of Performing Arts, and the School of Music. Enjoy your visit!

The first band at The University of Iowa was a 13-piece cornet band organized in 1880. Now, more than 500 students, music majors and non-music majors, participate in one of eight university bands. The Symphony Band is the premiere wind band at the university while other bands include the Concert Band, University Band and Chamber Winds. Additional bands include the nationally famous 250-member Hawkeye Marching Band, the Iowa Pep Band, and several jazz ensembles, including the award-winning Johnson County Landmark. University Bands is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Division of Performing Arts, and the School of Music. Students from all academic disciplines are invited to participate in the UI Band program as membership in all of our bands is open to any interested and qualified University of Iowa student regardless of major. You are cordially invited to browse the University of Iowa Band website and learn about our bands, conductors, graduate teaching assistants, repertoire, auditions, and special activities and events. Be sure to contact the UI Band office should you need additional information.

10/08/2026

Tune in tonight at 7:30 CT for our first performance of the semester. Hope to see you there!

This concert is free and open to the public. Concert can be viewed via livestream here: https://music.uiowa.edu/events/school-music-livestream

10/06/2026

Iowa Bands is excited to welcome back Dr. Yuichi Ura to campus. Dr. Ura was a visiting scholar last academic year, and currently serves as Associate Professor of Music at the University of Miyazaki. A proud alumni of the Iowa DMA program, he has dedicated his composition “Under the Same Sky” to the Iowa Bands program. Welcome back Dr. Ura!

10/01/2026

Iowa Bands is one week away from our first concert of the semester. Join us next Thursday at 7:30 PM!

09/11/2026

Dr. Heidel and the Iowa Symphony Band rehearsing “A Hymn for the Lost and the Living” on the 25th anniversary of 9-11. A powerful work by Eric Ewazen which will be featured on our first concert of the year. 🇺🇸

09/02/2026

Our concert ensembles began rehearsals this week in preparation for our first concert on October 8th. It has been a great start to the fall semester!

08/17/2026

Welcome back to campus students! If you are interested in participating in a band this fall, The University of Iowa Bands will be holding auditions for Symphony Band and Concert Band on Monday, August 24. Information is available on our website at: https://bands.uiowa.edu/concert-bands/auditions

Go hawks!

05/01/2026

The Iowa Symphony Band, under the direction of Dr. Mark Heidel, will present its final on-campus concert of the academic year at 7:30PM on Monday, May 4 in the Voxman Music Building Concert Hall.

The program will feature works by Navarro, Grainger, Ives, Creston, Respighi, Lunde, Biedenbender, and Sousa. Guest performers include Dr. Myron D. Welch, Dr. Eric W. Bush, Dr. Nick Miller, Courtney Ridge, and Camden Neff, Winner of the 2026 Iowa Bands Young Artist Competition.

The concert is free and open to the public.

04/15/2026

Congratulations to the Iowa Symphony Band on a successful concert tour with performances at Pleasant Valley High School and the University of Michigan. The Symphony Band was invited to perform at the 2026 College Band Directors National Association North Central Division Conference hosted by the University of Michigan. The Symphony Band, under the direction of Dr. Mark Heidel with guest performers Dr. Eric Bush and Dr. Kenneth Tse, performed in historic Hill Auditorium on Thursday, April 8 to an enthusiastic audience. The program consisted of works by Tower, David, Perrine, and Katoh.

04/04/2026

The Iowa Symphony Band is honored to have been invited to perform at the College Band Directors National Association North Central Division Conference at 4:30PM on Thursday, April 9, in Hill Auditorium on the campus of the University of Michigan. Their program includes Fascinating Ribbons by Joan Tower, Cathedral of Fountains by Aaron Perrine, Symphony No. 2 by James David, and Madrid Inspiration by Masanori Katoh. The concert will feature Dr. Mark Heidel, conductor, Dr. Eric Bush, guest conductor, and Dr. Kenneth Tse, alto saxophone.

The members of the Iowa Symphony Band enjoyed working with Aaron Perrine on his composition, Cathedral of Fountains, on Wednesday, April 1. It is always nice to have Dr. Perrine on campus!

03/24/2026

Camden Neff has been named the winner of the 2nd annual Iowa Bands Young Artist Competition. Camden is a senior at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and has been playing saxophone for 7 years. He has taken private lessons from Dr. Ryan Smith in Cedar Rapids for 4 years, and plays all 4 main saxophones in the family.

Aside from playing saxophone, Camden has served as a drum major for 3 years, and has begun marching drum corps with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps as a conductor. Camden was the winner of the 2024 IOWinds Alliance Young Artist Competition, the 2025 Cedar Rapids Municipal Band Young Artist Competition, and was the runner-up in the 2025 MTNA Senior Woodwind Division in Iowa. He has participated in numerous honor bands, including All-State, and enjoys playing both jazz and classical music.

Camden will be featured with the Symphony Band at 7:30PM on Monday, May 4. He will perform the first movement of Paul Creston’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Band.

Congratulations, Camden!

Address

93 E. Burlington Street 4306 VOX
Iowa City, IA
52242

Telephone

+13193351635

Website

https://bands.uiowa.edu/contact

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