Award and Scholarship Recipients 2026

Illinois Bands is grateful for the tremendous support that allows us to recognize the following students for their contributions to our concert and athletic bands. These individuals are representatives of the entirety of the Illinois Bands community, as every student makes valuable and significant contributions through their musicianship, leadership, dedication, and service.

A.A. Harding award

Andrew Gaffey and Ana Huerta Fernández

Mark Hindsley award

Sheridan Mackey, JaQuan Wiley, and Matt Williamson

Guy M. Duker Symphonic Band award

Steven Clawson and Jackson Parker

Thomas J. Harris award

Alex Mondragon

Edmund C. Williams award

Chandler Cleric, Joseph Goldstein, Jack Govern

DANSR/Vandoren Single reed award

Lily Knaack and Lia Pappas

William F. Ludwig Award for Percussion

Miles Niehaus

Sally Emrich Pierce and C. David Pierce Scholarship

Charlie Knetl

Gary E. Smith Excellence in Leadership award

Sam Murray

marching illini drumline scholarship

Collin VanderKarr

Prickett engineering scholarship

Joseph Hammel and George Huber

Marching Illini Trombone Scholarship

Jackson Cole

Ward and Mary Wilson Trombone Scholarship

George Huber

Feature twirler scholarship

Ellie Garst

Tamura Family, Ben & AMy Russell Family, Holly and Ken Mathiesen Family Baritone Scholarship

Sophie Freeman

marching illini mellophone scholarship

Coralyn Johnson

toman family clarinet scholarship

Maaike Niekerk

marching illini (“loyalty”) scholarship

Shaffer Bauer, Colin Bertand, Reagan Black, Kyle Boone, Luke Brown, Thomas DeMouy, Katelin Doughty, Nick Evanoff, Hillary Fleming, Jane Fornes, Anne Griffin, Leo Kaempfe, Bee Keene, Charlie Knetl, Lily Lapan, Gabriel Lebowa, Brodie Meneely, Andrew Myers, Kendall O'Keefe, Colin Ovando, Tiffany Saxinger, Molly Sheahan, Savannah Smith, Paige Wheeler, Sam Wleklinski, David Wuertzer, Brighid Zelko

Illinois Bands is grateful for DANSR/Vandoren USA’s sponsorship of the DANSR/Vandoren Single Reed Award.