In this article, you will find information for Vance Music students about the WSU Middle School & High School Piano Festival:
- Updates now that the Festival has changed weekends
- WSU 2026 MS & HS Piano Festival NEW Dates (Rescheduled due to weather!)
- Location & Google Map Links
- Visual Festival Map
- Printable Festival Map PDF
- Festival Schedule PDF
- Original WSU Festival Letter
- Who Can Attend
- Festival Procedures
- Festival Etiquette
The WSU 2026 Piano Festival for Middle School & High School Students has been rescheduled to January 31st and February 1st of 2026.
Here’s what you need to know based on those changes:
WSU 2026 Scheduling
Time slots for all middle school and high school students will remain the same, but will simply be moved to the weekend of January 31st.
Students with scheduling conflicts due to other activities, can submit a video for their comments and rating. There are requirements for video submissions, so please contact Marissa for the video requirements before recording.
WSU 2026 Room Assignments
Some adjustments to student room assignments have been made:
- Saturday room assignments will not change.
- Sunday high school students will perform in C-107.
- Sunday middle school students will perform in C-116.
WSU 2026 Information Below
All of the information below has been updated to reflect the changes to the festival. Vance Music students are always welcome to email Marissa with any questions.
WSU 2026 MS & HS Piano Festival Basics
NEW DATES: Saturday, January 31st & Sunday, February 1st, 2026
WSU General Address: 1845 N. Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260
WSU Duerksen Fine Arts Center Google Map
Parents and students, please review the WSU 2026 Festival procedures and etiquette further down in the article.
Students & parents: if you have questions about the WSU middle school & high school piano festival after accessing these PDF files & reading the rest of the article, please contact Marissa
Attending The WSU 2026 Piano Festivals
Rooms utilized at Wichita State University for the WSU 2026 festivals tend to be large ensemble classrooms and performance halls. Therefore, as the rooms can seat quite a few people, please feel free to invite family, friends, teachers, and supporting students.
We always encourage Vance Music students to show their support for one another by listening and learning together. Vance Music staff members will be in attendance to support students as well.
Any elementary piano students who have festival coming up later on in the month may attend the WSU 2026 Middle School & High School Piano Festival in order to get an idea of what festival will be like.
WSU 2026 Festival Procedure
Use this checklist to make sure you are ready for the WSU 2026 Festival
- Prepare your music before the WSU 2026 festival:
- Write your name and contact information inside or on the front cover of your book.
- Make sure that measure numbers are written in red ink above each bar line.
- Erase all practice markings from your music, so that the adjudicator can view a clean original of your piece.
- Photocopies are not allowed at festivals.
- Arrive thirty minutes before your performance time.
- Check in at your performance room prior to proceeding to the practice rooms.
- Warm up in a practice room on the first floor of the Duerksen Fine Arts Center (see the map above for a clear location).
- You may need to wait until a room becomes available.
- Limit your warm-up to five minutes so that the room can be used by other students.
- Use your time to prepare physically and mentally for your performance.
- Return to your performance room and check in again.
- Open your music book to your piece for the adjudicator.
- When it is your turn, go to the piano and adjust your bench.
- When the judge is ready for you to perform, stand to announce your piece to the judge. Announce your name, grade, song, and composer. Make sure to smile.
- Be seated, re-check your position, breathe, and perform your song.
- Smile and bow (first to the adjudicator, then to the audience if they are not seated in the same area).
- If the judge gives you verbal comments, listen attentively and politely.
- Thank the judge for listening to you perform.
- Collect your music.
WSU 2026 Festival Etiquette
- Prepare your music prior to the festival (name, measure numbers, erase practice markings, don’t bring photocopies).
- Talk softly in the halls, especially close to performance rooms.
- No running in the building.
- Children should be accompanied by an adult in the building.
- Be courteous to festival staff and judges. Thank them for the opportunity to perform and receive comments.
- Turn off all cell phones and electronic devices before entering performance rooms.
- Refrain from flash photography in the performance rooms. Turn off any sound effects on your camera prior to entering the performance rooms.
- Members of the audience refrain from talking in the performance room. This includes while students are warming up, performing, and especially while judges are talking.
Best of luck & have fun performing!
