In this article, you will find information for Vance Music students about the 2025 Tabor College Festival:
- Teacher Availability
- 2025 Tabor College Bach Festival Date
- Location & Google Map Links
- Who Can Attend
- Festival Etiquette
- Festival Timeline & Performance Schedule
- 2026: Save The Date
A Special Note Regarding Teacher Availability
On March 29th, Vance Music teachers will be attending multiple festivals located in Hillsboro, Kansas and in Wichita, Kansas. Your teacher may not be at the festival when you perform, or may not be available to help you check in and warm up. Please read this article carefully so you are prepared!
2025 Tabor College Bach Festival Basics
Saturday, March 29th, 2025
Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas
- Shari Flaming Center for the Arts Building
- The parking lot entrance is on the North side of the building
- 311 East B Street, Hillsboro, KS 672063
- Google Map – Parking Lot Entrance
If you have questions about the 2025 Tabor College Bach Festival after reading the rest of the article, please contact Marissa
Who Can Attend The 2025 Tabor College Bach Festival
Though students may request to play without an audience during preliminary rounds, Vance Music students are encouraged to allow parents, teachers, and students to view their performance, so that everyone can learn from one another. Preliminary rounds have been located in classrooms in the past, allowing room for other students, teachers, family, and guests.
The Richert Auditorium, used for the festival opening, masterclass, organ demonstration, and finals round, has plentiful seating.
Students are welcome to invite family and friends to the 2025 Tabor College Bach Festival.
Photo Credit: The Takahashi Family
2025 Tabor College Bach Festival Etiquette
- Bring your music.
- Make sure your name and phone number are written inside the front cover.
- Make sure measure numbers are written in red ink above each bar line.
- Erase all practice marks you do not wish the judge to see.
- No photocopies are allowed at festival.
- Talk softly in the halls, especially close to performance rooms. If you need to have a louder conversation, please move to the lobby or step outside.
- No running in the building.
- Children should be accompanied by an adult in the building.
- Turn off cell phones and electronic devices before entering the auditorium and performance rooms.
- Refrain from flash photography during events. Turn off any sound effects on your camera prior to entering the performance rooms.
- Audience members should not talk while students are warming up, performing, or while judges are talking.
- Only enter/exit performance rooms during applause or while students are moving on/off the stage.
- Parents are welcome to video record their student’s performance. Make sure the recording device is silent and will not distract performers, judges, or audience members.
- Be courteous to festival staff and judges. Thank them for their help and time!
2025 Tabor College Bach Festival Timeline
8:00 – 8:20 AM
Arrival & Registration
Arrive at the 2025 Tabor College Bach Festival in Hillsboro, Kansas.
Parking is available on the north side of the Shari Flaming Center for the Arts building.
Enter the Shari Flaming Center for the Arts building and check in at the registration desk in the Regier Atrium.
If you have time, familiarize yourself with the building by finding the practice rooms and your assigned performance room.
8:20 AM
Vance Music Group Photo & Practicing
Meet with Vance Music staff members near the registration table in the Regier Atrium for a group picture.
After the picture, Vance Music students will go to the practice rooms and take turns announcing, performing, and bowing for each other.
8:50 AM
Festival Welcome & Opening
Proceed to the Richert Auditorium near the registration table for the 2025 Tabor College Bach Festival welcome and opening.
9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
2025 Tabor College Bach Festival: Preliminary Rounds
** Please Note: The masterclass & preliminary round time frames overlap.
- 25 minutes before you perform, find a warm-up room. You may need to wait for an available room. Limit your warm-up to 5 minutes so the piano is available for other students. Prepare physically and mentally for your performance.
- 10 minutes before you are scheduled to perform, go to your performance room.
- Check in with the performance room monitor. Let them know whether you will allow others to watch your performance.
- Have your music opened to the correct page for the judge. The room monitor will likely deliver your music to the judge.
- When it is your turn, go to the piano and adjust your bench.
- If the judge invites you to warm up, play a scale and/or cadence. This time should be used to familiarize yourself with the sound and touch of the instrument you will perform on. Do not warm up by playing your song.
- When the judge is ready for you to perform, stand to announce. Announce your name and song title. Make sure to smile.
- Be seated, re-check your position, breathe, and perform your song.
- Smile and bow (first to the judge, then to the audience if they are not seated in the same area).
- Wait for the door monitor to return your music. If you are not staying in the room to listen to another student, wait in the hall. Do not leave without your music!
Photo Credit: The Aston Family
11:00 AM
Masterclass with Dr. Sheila Litke
** Please Note **
The masterclass does overlap with the preliminary round. Please review your performance time and plan adequate warm-up time before you perform so you do not feel rushed or miss your time slot.
Providing it is not your turn to warm-up or perform in the preliminary round, please proceed to the Richert Auditorium to view the masterclass with Dr. Litke. You can read about Dr. Litke on the Tabor College website.
What is a masterclass? Select students take a lesson over a prepared piece from a master teacher. The lesson is public, allowing the audience to learn with the student. Being selected to perform for a masterclass is an honor, and can be listed on music-specific résumés.
If you have been selected to perform in the masterclass, please take your music to Dr. Sheila Litke when it is your turn to perform.
12:30 – 1:20 PM
Lunch Break
An “on your own” lunch break will take place the day of the festival. As time will be limited, we recommend planning ahead by packing a lunch or deciding upon a fast food option in Hillsboro, Kansas in advance.
1:30 PM
Organ Demonstration with Mr. Tyler Breneman of the
Wichita Area American Guild of Organists
Proceed to the Richert Auditorium for the organ demonstration with Mr. Tyler Breneman. You can read more about Mr. Breneman on the Tabor College website.
3:00 PM
Finalists Announced
Proceed to the Richert Auditorium and wait for the 2025 Tabor College Bach Festival finalists to be announced.
3:15 PM
2025 Tabor College Bach Festival: Finalists Round
Students who accept a place as a finalist must perform in the finalist round. If you are announced as a finalist:
- Go onstage with your music. Festival staff will take you backstage and give you more instructions.
- When it is your turn to perform, go to the piano. You will not announce or warm up (unless instructed otherwise by festival staff).
- Check your bench position. Breathe.
- Perform your song.
- Bow and smile.
Judges will deliberate and select winners after the finalists perform. An awards ceremony will follow. Door prizes will also be awarded to lucky performers.
Post Festival
Collecting Comments Sheets
After the closing of the festival, collect your comments sheet. In past years, these have been available at the registration table. Bring your comments sheet to your next lesson so your teacher can talk through them with you and add them to your student file.
Celebratory Picture
Take a celebratory picture or two of your student(s) and email them to Marissa later on. We’ll celebrate students’ performances in the festival on our social media, bulletin board, and annual presentation at the Christmas recital.
SAVE THE DATE
Next Year’s Tabor College Bach Festival
Saturday, March 28th, 2026
Have fun performing at the 2025 Tabor College Bach Festival!
