The Department of Music at UMass Lowell offers a camp for talented instrumental music students who have a passion for music!

UMass Lowell - Mary Jo Leahey Symphonic Band Camp

Open for Enrollment 2025

The Final Concert will be on the afternoon of Saturday July 19, 2025 at Moloney Performing Arts Center. The concert will be held between 1-3 p.m., with start time to be announced. No tickets will be required.

About Band Camp

The Mary Jo Leahey Symphonic Band Camp is a week long immersion into music, held each year in July. Our program is for those who love making music and discovering this with high schoolers who think just like you!

A residential program, we offer ensembles and electives from Concert Band and Jazz Ensembles to Sound for Movies and Music, Conducting, Writing and Arranging Music, Intro to Guitar, Sound Recording Technology and more. Performance and learning opportunities abound with more than 40 faculty and staff; instructors from UMass Lowell and throughout New England.

This honor's level program is open to 130 high school instrumentalists. Students who have completed grade 8 in June to those heading to college in the fall are eligible to participate.

Band Camp is available to those who play Clarinet, French Horn Flute, Piccolo, Oboe, String Bass, Guitar, Bassoon, Bass Clarinet, Saxophone (alto, tenor, bari), Euphonium, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Electric Bass, Piano, and Percussion. At the camp, students will improve their individual skills and broaden their own musical experience in a shared environment of teamwork and learning.

All perform in the Finale Concert at the conclusion of camp in the Concert Hall at Moloney Performing Arts Center.

Camp Enrollment

Our camp is open until filled each year. For additional details and for enrollment information please visit the Symphonic Band Camp website.

Scholarships

  1. Scholarships are available and are talent based. A recording is required - see the Symphonic Band Camp website for submission details.
  2. All students receive approximately 50% support from donors with significantly reduced tuition (normally an $1800 camp). Scholarships would be additional tuition reduction.

Future Camps Dates:

  • 2026: July 12-18
  • 2027: July 18-24 (year 30)
  • 2028: July 16-22
  • 2029 July 15-21
  • 2030 July 14-20

Symphonic Band Camp Online Registration

Contact

UMass Lowell Department of Music
Debra-Nicole Huber, Executive Director
Symphonic Band Camp
35 Wilder St.
Lowell, MA 01854
Email: DebraNicole_Huber@uml.edu
Phone: 978-934-4133

Commissioned Works for Symphonic Band Camp

2023 Premier by Rossano Galante of Midnight Ride,  premiered with the composer conducting, at the Symphony Hall, Boston. Commissioned for the UML Symphonic Band Camp in celebration of 25 years.

2017's Premiere by Frank Ticheli, "Arcadiana", was co-commissioned by NEYWE Artistic Director Deb Huber, along with Lew Buckley of the Metropolitan Wind Symphony and MIT's Concert Band conductor, Tom Reynolds.

2016's World Premiere by James Hosay, "Old North Bridge, A Symphonic March", with choir, was commissioned work by Executive Director Deb Huber to celebrate the 20th Band Camp.  It was premiered with the composer conducting, at the Symphonic Band Camp Finale Concert.

2012 world premiere of "Earhart; Sounds of Courage" at the Mary Jo Leahey ’37 Symphonic Band Camp Finale Concert!

In 2012 our finale concert featured the world premiere of the commissioned composition "Earhart: Sounds of Courage" by Robert W. Smith, dedicated in memoriam to Mary Jo Leahey. Mr. Smith joined us for an unforgettable rehearsal and truly inspired us all to "paint the sky orange." Students were thrilled to learn from this master educator whose compositions are well known in the wind band world.

2009 world premiere of "Reminiscent Rhapsody" at the Mary Jo Leahey ’37 Symphonic Band Camp Finale Concert!

James Hosay, international wind-band composer and decorated veteran (staff arranger for Pershing’s Own), was the special guest conductor at the 2009 Mary Jo Leahey Symphonic Band Camp concert. Commissioned to write a work for the ensemble by Executive Director/Conductor Deb Huber, Hosay wrote the Gershwin-styled original composition “Reminiscent Rhapsody” and conducted the world premiere at the concert.

More Information

For more information about all the different types of bands and ensembles we have to offer visit the UMass Lowell Bands webpage.