The 24th annual Longwood Honors Jazz Ensemble and the 28th annual Honors Concert Band performances will be held Friday, at 7:30 p.m. in Jarman Auditorium on the Longwood University campus. Over 120 outstanding musicians representing 12 area high schools will combine to form these ensembles under the direction of Longwood University Department of Music faculty members Dr. Charles Kinzer and Dr. Gordon Ring.

A tradition of the Honors Bands has been to include performances by guest soloists and conductors with the groups. This year’s soloist with both the jazz and concert bands will be Graham Breedlove, a trumpet soloist with The United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, DC. Breedlove has appeared as a soloist, composer/ arranger or lead player on seven CDs with the Army Blues. He also appears as musical director, soloist and composer/arranger on “Voodoo Boogaloo” and “Back to the Bayou,” critically acclaimed recordings by Swamp Romp, a Louisiana music group comprised of members of the Army Blues.

Area schools and directors who will be participating include Altavista High School (HS), Mario Ruiz; Amelia County HS, Ryan Stahl; Appomattox County HS, Bryan Allgood; Fork Union Military Academy, Bruce Patterson; Fuqua School, Tyler Gage; Goochland County HS, Mark Givens; Lunenburg Central HS, Maurice Ellis; Nottoway County HS, Katherine Lusk; Petersburg HS, Clyde Boswell; Powhatan County HS; Nicholas Snead; Prince Edward County HS, Tiarrah Crouch; and Randolph-Henry HS, Kevin Reamey.

Admission to the concert is free and the public is welcome.