Chris Hass

NIAGARA, Wis. — When the 21st-annual Menominee River Conference Honors Band weekend kicks off on Friday, Jan. 16, a relatively new face to the band composition world will be welcomed to the area.

The local branch of the Wisconsin School Music Association, the Menominee River Conference, is an association of 12 Wisconsin and Upper Michigan school districts, whose finest musicians will converge at Niagara High School on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 16-17, for two days of rehearsal under the baton of composer/conductor Chris Evan Hass.

Hass, born in 1993, is a composer, arranger, conductor and friend hailing from Ann Arbor, Mich. Praised as “beautifully expressive” (the WholeNote) and “thrillingly off-kilter” (Double Reed Journal), his compositions have attracted performances worldwide from some of today’s leading musicians, including members of the New York Philharmonic, Dallas Winds, Sinta Saxophone Quartet, Boston Symphony Orchestra, U.S. Army Band, Eastman Saxophone Project, and U.S. Naval Academy Band.

His music has been featured at prestigious conferences, including the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, Texas Music Educator’s Association Conference, and the Indonesia Orchestra and Ensemble Festival. As a prominent voice in the saxophone and brass community, Hass’ chamber works are regularly performed at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and have become staples at instrumental showcases such as the International Trombone Festival, World Saxophone Congress, and the International Trumpet Guild.

He holds degrees in composition from Central Michigan University (master’s in music) and Western Michigan University (bachelor’s in music), where he studied with David Gillingham, Evan Ware and Christopher Biggs. Hass currently resides in Jackson, Mich., with his wife, two sons, and three dogs — Pesto, Basil and Olive.

An All-Conference-caliber band of some 90 musicians from Adams Township/Jeffers, Forest Park, Gwinn, Iron Mountain, Kingsford, Menominee, Niagara, North Dickinson County, Norway, Phelps, West Iron County and Westwood high schools will present a final concert at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 17. An admission donation of $5 per person will be received at the door, and the general public, as well as parents, family and friends, are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Underwriting support from Jim’s Music of Iron Mountain, Escanaba, Marquette and Green Bay plays a major role in bringing Hass to this event. For additional information regarding the 2026 All-Conference Honors Band program, contact the music instructor at any of the participating schools.