North Area Honor Band @ NSU 4 pm Concert

Press Release for North Area Honor Band

December 6, 2025

The 34^th Annual South Dakota North Area Honor Band will present their concert on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 4:00PM at the Johnson Fine Arts Center on the campus of Northern State University. Dr. Larry Petersen, director of bands at Marshall High School in Minnesota and former director at Huron High School and Augustana University, is the director for this year’s event.

The South Dakota North Area Honor Band was created when area band directors began expressing an interest in providing a regional opportunity for their experienced instrumental musicians. Upon nomination by their band director, students who auditioned for the 2025 South Dakota All-State Band are seated first in the ensemble, and additional students of high caliber complete the sections. It remains the goal of the directors to increase interest in instrumental performance and to provide a top level learning experience for the more advanced high school band students of this area.

Representing twenty-six schools, approximately one hundred students have been selected to participate in the Honor Band.  Participating schools and their directors are Aberdeen Central – Jeremy Schutter & John Patzlaff; Aberdeen Christian – Desiree Yeigh; Aberdeen Roncalli – Kimberly Carda & Molly Royals; Britton-Hecla – Jakob Walden; Deubrook – Lucas Trooien; Elkton – Ashlynne Ravenscroft; Eureka – Dale Batie; Frederick Area – Braden Freeman; Gettysburg – Katrina Smith; Great Plains Lutheran – Eric Martens; Groton Area – Joshua Friez; Herried – Julie Borr; Hoven – Elizabeth Bengs; Howard – Jean Morrison; Huron – James Stueckrath; Ipswich – Becky Nierman; Iroquois – Scott Glodt; Langford – Kelly Wieser; Leola – Nancy Kindelspire; Milbank – Susan Karels; Mobridge-Pollock – Noelle Nemmers; Northwestern – Wendy Thorson; Redfield – Justin Desens; Sully Buttes – Erica Paxton.

Admission prices for the concert are $5 for adults and $3 for students, grades 1-12.