West Virginia University will play host to the 30th annual Invitational High School Honor Bands event Feb. 12-14 at the Creative Arts Center .

About 350 student musicians from more than 100 high schools in West Virginia and surrounding states will participate. They are recommended by their high school band directors and selected on the basis of their ability and accomplishments.

The students will audition Thursday evening and rehearse for two days before presenting the annual Honor Bands Concert at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre . The concert is free and open to the public.

WVU Director of Bands John Hendricks and Associate Director Jay Drury are the hosts for the weekends activities. Many of the high school band directors also accompany their students to the event, which serves as a workshop and observation opportunity for area music teachers.

Much of the success of our Honor Bands is due to the outstanding guest conductors who bring their talents to Morgantown each year,Hendricks said.

This years guest conductors will be Kenneth Ozzello, director of bands at the University of Alabama; Jay Dawson, celebrated band composer and president of Arrangers Publishing Co. in Nashville, Tenn.; and Larry Jackson, director of bands at Allegany High School in Cumberland, Md.

Ozello is a graduate of WVU and a former staff member with the WVU Marching Band , where he served as drum major, graduate assistant and drill designer.

As part of the Honor Bands activities, the WVU Wind Symphony will perform a concert at 7 p.m. Friday in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre. This concert, a ticketed event, will also feature the guest conductors for the WVU Invitational Honor Bands event.

For more information about the WVU Invitational High School Honor Bands concert or the WVU Wind Symphony concert, contact the WVU box office at 304-293-SHOW.