Ozark Music Festival 2025

Enjoy the Festival Wrap-Up Video

Hear from Students & Faculty

  • “The theme was transformation. I didn't think it would be transformation for me! But it was. I came for the students, thinking it would be their lives that were primarily affected--but it was mine as well. I learned so much from both the other faculty AND from the students, too. I discovered so many things about myself. I met so many wonderful people and made such easy, automatic friendships. Things I've been wanting to shift for a long time shifted. Old habits and thoughts fell away. New possibilities opened up. I came home a different person than I was when I left.”

    — OMF Woodwind Faculty 2025

  • “It is wonderful to see the reconstituted spirit of the venerable Hot Springs Music Festival alive and well at the Ozark Music Festival. The faculty and students are first-rate, the facilities are wonderful, the chamber and orchestral music experiences are exactly what young professionals need to jump start their career, and the charm of Fayetteville is a wonderful place to bring students together for intense collaboration. It is an honor to be associated with this organization, and I look forward to many years of transformative musicmaking!”

    — Osiris Molina, Clarinet Faculty 2025

  • “The music, lessons, and memories I learned will resonate with me for years and years to come. I will never take these moments for granted. The growth, the discovery, the shared humanity, the purest form of authenticity - that’s the human experience right there. That is the power and beauty that Ozark Music Festival helps cultivate in the lives of others. My heart is full. My hope is that I can create the kind of impact in people’s lives the way that this festival helped create in mine.”

    — French Horn Student 2025

  • “At the Ozark Music Festival, I was immersed into leadership roles, as well as advanced groups and chamber ensembles, which helped grow my passion and knowledge as a musician. I was fortunate to receive a Graduate Assistant scholarship, which allowed me to afford this life changing experience. I was surprised by how organized, professional, and advanced OMF was, with it only being the inaugural season. I had tons of fun and I am so grateful for the connections and knowledge I gained.”

    — Olivia O’Brien, Flute Graduate Assistant 2025

  • “As a dedicated music student fresh out of a rough personal situation, I needed something to lift my spirits and take my mind off of everything I was dealing with at the time. This festival not only provided me that opportunity by giving me so much to do in such a short span of time, but it also put me in contact with new friends and support networks that I’m sure will last a long time. The Ozark Music Festival changed my life, and my outlook on my own life.”

    — Trombone Student 2025

  • “The first season of Ozark Music Festival was truly something special. What made it so remarkable were the people. It wasn’t just about rehearsing and performing concerts, it was about the deep, meaningful relationships formed between faculty and students, and among the students themselves. Over the course of an intense and inspiring two weeks, we watched young musicians grow — not just technically and musically, but personally. We saw timid students step into leadership roles, challenge themselves, support one another, and flourish in a community where they felt accepted, encouraged, and valued. Confidence grew, doors opened, and lifelong friendships took root in just a matter of days. Experiences like this can be life-changing. And because of the scholarships, students who might not have had the opportunity otherwise got to be part of it.”

    — Virginia Broffitt Kunzer, Flute Faculty Mentor 2025

Orchestra of musicians holding string instruments, standing in concert hall with empty chairs around.
Brittany and Tomoko
Orchestra rehearsal in a room with a large stone fireplace, with a woman standing at the front conducting, and musicians playing string instruments like violins and cellos, reading sheet music.
Orchestra musicians practicing indoors, with wood-paneled walls and several French horns.
A small brass band performing outdoors on a grassy area surrounded by trees, with the musicians seated on black chairs, playing their instruments, and a few spectators sitting on benches and the ground.
Large group of students playing violins and other string instruments in an indoor orchestra rehearsal, led by a conductor, in a bright room with large windows.
A jazz band performing outdoors on a lawn, with an audience seated in chairs in front. The band includes musicians playing trumpets, trombones, and a tuba, with a cityscape and apartment buildings in the background.
An orchestra performing on stage at a music festival with a conductor leading, in a concert hall with wooden walls and red lighting.
Group of young musicians holding various instruments, standing on a stage in front of a wooden panel, with a banner that reads 'Ozark music festival' and a website URL. They are smiling and dressed in semi-formal attire.
A group of nine young people standing outdoors on a concrete path, each holding a brass musical instrument, with lush green trees and a small stream in the background. They are wearing matching blue shirts with white logos.
Four young musicians standing outdoors, each holding a French horn, wearing matching navy blue shirts with the word 'Ozark' on them, surrounded by green trees and a small stream.
A musical ensemble performing at the Ozark Museum Festival, with audience members seated in a modern indoor venue with large windows and white brick pillars, a grand piano in the background, and a blue sign on the left reading "Ozark Museum Festival"