Vance Music students have the opportunity to perform monthly in the Vance Music 2026 recitals, including in this year’s 45th Annual Christmas Recital. Students are welcome to share their music with guests. Prospective students and community members are also welcome to attend the 2026 recitals, as they are free of charge and open to the public.
Performers at the 2026 recitals are made up of current Vance Music onsite and online students who have received permission from their teachers to perform. Students gain significant experience and confidence performing in front of an audience regularly. Practice recitals give students a comfortable performance venue where they can build confidence with the support of the teaching staff.
In addition to performance experience, students performing regularly in the 2026 recital will find their progress is consistent. Regular performances encourage students to practice on a regular basis, thereby supporting their goals as developing musicians. Students can use the 2026 recitals as preparation for tougher performances like festivals, competitions, band and orchestra chair auditions, honors ensemble auditions, and scholarship auditions.
Vance Music 2026 Recitals
1:30pm, 2:30pm, or 3:30pm
Located at First Church of the Brethren
1103 N. Jefferson St., Wichita, KS 67203
Parking available on the West side of the building
January 18
February 8
March 8
April 12
May 17
June 14
July 12
August 16
September 13
October 4
November 1
The 2026 recitals sign-up form closes at midnight on the Wednesday prior to the recital.
Sign-up Etiquette for the 2026 Recitals
Recital sign-up is first come, first serve. Once a recital is full, students must select a different recital time. Requests to be added to a recital once it is full are usually not granted, as overfilling a recital will cause the following recital to start late.
Requests to play early or late in the recital time frame should be submitted no later than the recital sign-up deadline, but will also be considered first come, first serve. Students who wish to play early or late must submit a reason for doing so, or their request will not be considered.
The sign-up sheet requires a recital code which is provided to students once they have received their teacher’s approval to sign-up for the recital. Typically, this means that students are performance ready, with their song by memory, and meets any other expectations their teacher has presented to them. Once students have received teacher approval, the recital code will be at the top of their assignment sheet.
If you have questions about sign-up procedures for the 2026 recitals, please contact Marissa.
Online Audience Members Etiquette for the 2026 Recitals
Online audience members should contact Marissa by Wednesday the week of recital. This allows us to put your login information on our security list, so you are able to join the online recital call. Please include the name of the student performer that invited you to attend, an email address, and your Google user name. We will email the digital recital program and online recital call link to the email address you provide.
45th Annual Christmas Recital in 2026
Date & Location Coming Soon
All Christmas recital performers are required to be present from the dress rehearsal until the end of the recital.
Tentative Time 3:00 PM Student Call Time (Dress Rehearsal & Pictures)
Tentative Time 5:00 PM Online Student Roll Call
Tentative Time 5:20 PM Onsite Student Roll Call
Tentative Time 5:30 PM Recital & Awards Ceremony
Christmas 2026 Recital Rehearsal Information
The annual Christmas recital will be very different from the rest of the 2026 recitals. Students will be organized into ensembles (groups of musicians that perform together simultaneously) and will receive arrangements designed to help them learn to perform in a group setting. Weekly lessons will be replaced with weekly rehearsals in November (pricing remains the same) and students will have a formal recital experience complete with an MC, awards ceremony, and reception.
Christmas Recital Sign-up Etiquette
In August, students and parents will receive a Christmas Recital policy. It will also be posted via the button below. We ask that parents and students take this policy seriously. Please sign up only after thoroughly checking parent and student schedules. If there are any activities that might be prioritized above the Christmas recital, please request those dates prior to Christmas recital sign-up.
Students that drop out of the Christmas recital will not only incur a steep drop-out fee, but will also sacrifice the work and time of their group members and the teaching staff. Therefore, students that break their commitment to the Christmas recital may not have the opportunity to participate in future ensemble performances.
Once the sign up process is complete, students will be organized into their ensembles. Vance Music staff member will start arranging the music right away, and rehearsal scheduling will begin.
Christmas Recital Rehearsal Etiquette
Rehearsal scheduling is completed based on feedback from parents and students given in Google forms. These forms will be posted below. We work hard to update the information quickly, as we know all of our families are busy and need their rehearsal dates as soon as possible.
When filling out the Google form, please mark all possible times your student can attend. This allows rehearsals to include all performers in the group.
If there is a lack of rehearsal options between group members, we will ask parents fill out the form again with more scheduling options.
As per the policy, this recital requires a higher level of commitment than the other 2026 recitals: students who cannot attend the majority of rehearsals offered may not be allowed to participate.
Photo credit: Aki Takahashi
The Video Presentation of the 2026 Recitals
While students, parents, and guests arrive, a slideshow presentation will highlight each performer. This gives the audience a chance to enjoy the 2026 recital on a more personal level.
Students, please email Marissa a pictures for the presentation as early as August. Headshots at a high resolution in landscape mode will work best.
In addition, please send any photos you may have from 2026 of your student receiving a non-Vance Music award or participating in any music performances or ensembles on their private lesson instrument(s). Please make sure to let us know the name of the music event. If ratings or specific awards were given, please include those details.
Photo credit: Aditi Prabhu
Preparing for Perfect Attendance at the 2026 Recitals
Once you have performed by memory in the January – November recitals, you’ll want to stay on top of your memory work for the Christmas recital. The perfect attendance requirements for December are a bit different than the rest of the 2026 recitals, as staff members need additional time to prepare the awards.
To continue to meet the Perfect Attendance award requirements for the 2026 recitals:
- Please make sure to play your December song by memory for a Vance Music staff member by (deadline to be announced later this year) in order to complete your perfect attendance by memory status.
- The performance must be approved by a Vance Music staff member by midnight that evening.
- If you are unable to perform your song for a staff member in rehearsal, please feel free to send your teacher or Marissa a video of your memorized performance.
Photo credit: Murali Rathi
Christmas Recital Food & Volunteer Information
Our Christmas recitals have always benefited greatly from our parent and student volunteers. We do ask that each family get involved in order to help support their students in this grand finale to the 2026 recitals.
Photo credit: Denise Hole
Christmas Recital Ticket Information
The Christmas recital is a ticketed event, but tickets are available for free at the door. Tickets allow students to invite family, friends, teachers, and other guests easily. Tickets also help us prepare for next year, by providing a head-count of the 2026 recital guests.
Performers and attendees joining us online should fill out the online ticket form below. For security purposes, only performers and attendees on listed in the form database will be allowed to join the recital online.
Please feel free to invite your family and friends to any of the 2026 recitals. We do have a referrals program, and always wish to honor students that trust us with the education of their friends. You can invite your friends and family to the Facebook event (coming soon).
Photo credit: Charles Cummins
