ALAMOSA — The Adams State University "Top of the Nation" Honor Band Festival, a prestigious event with a tradition spanning 80 years, is one of Colorado's most esteemed honor bands. 

This festival includes some of most gifted high school instrumental musicians in Southwest Colorado, offering two distinct ensembles: the auditioned group (Symphonic Winds) and the director-recommended (Concert Winds). 

The festival is held over three days, beginning on Thursday morning and culminating in a concert. The students will perform on Sunday, March 2, in Richardson Hall on the ASU campus. 

According to James M. Lind, D.M.A. and Assistant Professor of Music at ASU told the Valley Courier the concert will include symphonic winds, the auditioned group will perform: “Symphonic Episode I” by Satoshi Yagisawa, “Sheltering Sky” by John Mackey, and “Riptides” by Katahj Copley. 

Lind added the concert winds section of the concert will include, the “director-nominated” group will perform: “Shimmering Joy” by Tyler S. Grant, “Jungle Dance” by Brian Balmages, and “Structures” by Roland Barrett. 

Leading the symphonic winds is the esteemed Shannon Kitelinger, a highly accomplished figure in the world of music. 

Kitelinger is Professor of Music and Director of Bands at San Diego State University (SDSU) where he oversees the university Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, and Concert Band as well as teaching courses in conducting, wind literature, and serving as the undergraduate music education advisor. 

Kitelinger received a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) and master’s of degree in conducting from the University of North Texas and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. His primary conducting teachers include Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Dennis Fisher, and Jack Stamp. 

He has been a recording production assistant for the critically acclaimed GIA Windworks series, the Klavier Wind Project, the GIA Composer's Collection, Naxos Wind Band Classics, and the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. He has been published in 12 volumes of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band and has been the author of teacher's resource guides ranging from beginning to advanced repertoire. 

Mike Mozingo is the guest conductor of concert winds. 

Mozingo taught band for 38 years and retired from Lewis-Palmer School District, where he taught for 27 years, including 5 years at Lewis-Palmer High School and 22 years at Lewis-Palmer Middle School. Mr. Mozingo received a bachelor's degree in music education in 1978 from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and a master's degree in education from Lesley College of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1999. 

Bands under his direction have performed eight times at the Colorado Music Educator's Clinic/Conference. He was honored as "Outstanding Band Master" by Kappa Chapter of Phi Beta Mu in 2012 and was recognized in School Band and Orchestra Magazine's "50 Directors Who Make a Difference, Outstanding Music Educators" in 2014. In 2019, he was recognized by the National Band Association with a "Citation of Excellence;" in 2021, he received the CBA Hall of Fame Award and was inducted into the CMEA Hall of Fame in 2023. He performs with the Pueblo Symphony Orchestra, the Little London Winds, and the Monument Hill Brass Quintet. Mozingo lives in Monument.