Chelan High School Music Students Selected for Prestigious Western International Band Clinic

Congratulations to Jayden Burdick and Kole Nelson

information released

Chelan High School is proud to announce that TWO of its talented musicians have been selected to participate in the Western International Band Clinic (WIBC), a prestigious audition honor band event that brings together outstanding young musicians from across the globe.

Jayden Burdick (Trumpet – Grade 12) and Kole Nelson (Trumpet – Grade 12) students at Chelan High School, were chosen to join an elite group of musicians who will perform under the direction of renowned conductors at the upcoming WIBC event. This honor highlights these students’ dedication, skill, and passion for music, and reflects the strength of the band program at Chelan High School.

The Western International Band Clinic is an annual event that gathers talented high school and university musicians for a weekend of intensive rehearsals, workshops, and performances. Participants have the opportunity to learn from experienced conductors, composers, soloists, and play alongside their peers in a professional concert setting. Guest composers and conductors for 2026 are JaRod Hall, Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, Dr. Peter Boonshaft, Dr. Patricia Cornett, William Owens, and Robert Ponto. Featured guest soloists are world renowned jazz clarinetist Dr. Doreen Ketchens. This year’s clinic will take place from November 20-23, 2026 in SeaTac, WA.

“I am incredibly proud of our student musicians for auditioning and being selected to participate in this prestigious event,” said Stephen Burdick, Band Director at Chelan High School. “This has become an extremely competitive audition process with a 48-year record high number of overall auditions, making it highly competitive to earn a spot. Even submitting an audition for this event is an accomplishment”.

Chelan High School congratulates these student musicians on their outstanding achievement and looks forward to hearing about their experiences at the Western International Band Clinic.