The Big 9 Music Festival is an annual event that happens almost every year, since 1933. This festival is also the oldest high school conference music festival in the entire country. This year, the festival will be held at Rochester John Marshall High School on Friday, April 29. from 8:00 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m. The top three music ensembles from Owatonna High School will be performing at the festival. This includes the symphony orchestra, the concert band and the concert choir.

The OHS Symphony Orchestra will be playing two songs: ‘Night on Bald Mountain’ and ‘An American in Paris Suite’. The OHS Concert Band will be playing two songs this year: ‘Spring’ and ‘Parkour’. The OHS Concert Choir will be singing six songs: ‘Psalm 96’, ‘The 67th Psalm’, ‘Ballade to the Moon’, ‘My Spirit Sang All Day’, ‘Otche Nash’ and the ‘Battle of Jericho’. All three of these music ensembles have been rehearsing their songs for the past few months in order to get ready for this music festival. The public can come and watch any of the ensembles during the day for free.

After all of the school ensembles perform during the day, there will be select orchestra, band and choir ensembles that will be a part of one large concert in the evening. These select ensembles are made up of musicians from all around in the Big 9 conference. The Select Concert will start at 7:30 p.m. in the John Marshall Auditorium and will cost $7 for adults and $5 for students.