The Music for All National Festival, presented by Yamaha, celebrates outstanding music-making by the nation’s finest high school and middle school scholastic ensembles. The Music for All National Festival is an integral part of Music for All’s mission to create, provide, and expand positively life-changing experiences through music for all.

All applying ensembles receive feedback on their audition recording from a panel of Music for All National Festival evaluators.

For invited ensembles, directors select their own programs; there is no required repertoire. There are no ratings or rankings, so directors and their ensembles are free to stretch themselves, reach for new heights, and strive for innovation, growth, and excellence, rather than focusing on a rating or placement.

The non-competitive atmosphere of the Music for All National Festival provides a place for growth, cooperative encouragement, and mutual respect among music programs, students, parents, boosters, and administrators. To receive an invitation by audition is to be recognized as one of the finest scholastic music ensembles in America.

The Festival premiered in 1992 with the debut of the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival, born from a dream to create and provide a national showcase for outstanding high school concert bands. This dream of Bands of America leadership was buoyed by the support of several icons in music education.

Dr. William D. Revelli, whose high school bands from Hobart, Indiana, won the National Band Contest of the 1920s and 30s several times, told stories about the positive impact on music education and how a national stage could bring together America’s finest. John P. Paynter, the revered Director of Bands at Northwestern University, hosted the first two National Concert Band Festivals and was instrumental in the planning and design of the non-competitive festival. Many other leading conductors and educators were part of the creation and early years of the festival and continue today to share their wealth of musical knowledge with the performing ensembles.

Today, the Festival includes experiences for bands, orchestras, and small ensembles.

The National Concert Band Festival includes two stages of experiences for high school bands, plus a stage featuring middle school concert bands.

The Sandy Feldstein National Percussion Festival provides a national forum for performance and recognition of America’s outstanding concert percussion ensembles. Ensemble members perform and participate in the full festival experience.

The Orchestra America National Festival launched in 2003, in cooperation with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, providing a significant and unique relationship. With the Orchestra America National Festival, Music for All provides a national showcase and educational opportunity — and a positively life-changing experience — for string players and orchestras.

The Chamber Music National Festival returns in 2027 after a short program evolution hiatus. Chamber ensembles perform in concert, receive evaluation, a post-concert clinic, and the full Festival experience.