In 1927, the New England Music Festival Association (NEMFA) was formed to give outstanding experiences in musical performance to high school students throughout the six New England states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The Association’s very first festival was held in Boston with Conductor John Philip Sousa. (As a side note, Sousa conducted Band concerts here in Worcester’s Mechanics Hall 27 times! ) Since this particular Concert Festival is the 97th Anniversary of NEMFA, it seemed natural that a great place to hold the festival would be in the area near to our roots… Worcester, “The Heart” of Massachusetts and New England. As one of the first areas in the New World where settlers arrived to pursue a new way of life, this area is home to many firsts in American history. In the area of music, it is significant to note that Boston is where American Music Education in the public schools began under Lowell Mason. Music Education has since become a dynamic part of American schools. The members of NEMFA continue to take pride in the many wonderful concerts that have been held over these past 97 years. Thousands of young lives have been shaped and nurtured through music as a result. It is a heritage for which all music educators may be justly proud.

https://www.nemfa.org/concert-festival