Welcome to ILMEA District 1!

2025 & 2026 District 1 Dates

Saturday, March 8 - Guitar Festival (Lincoln-Way Central High School, New Lenox)

Saturday, April 26 - Commercial Music Festival (Oak Lawn Community High School, Oak Lawn)

Saturday, April 26 - Elementary Music Festival (Argo Community High School, Summit)

Friday, August 22 - All District audition tracks and prompts posted online (District and Division pages)

Wednesday, September 10 - Audition excerpt information released by 12:00pm (Junior and Senior, All Audition Areas)

Wednesday, September 17 - Audition nomination deadline - all student audition nominations must be entered on nominate.ilmea.org by 11:59:59pm

Wednesday, September 17 - Audition window open for audition video link submissions on nominate.ilmea.org

Wednesday, October 1 - Audition window closes for audition submissions at 11:59:59pm

Wednesday, October 15 - Composition Contest Entry Deadline

Wednesday, October 15 - FMES Nomination Deadline

Saturday, November 8 - Senior Festival (Elmhurst University, Elmhurst)

Saturday, November 15 - Junior/Senior Jazz Festival (location TBA)

Saturday, November 22 - Junior Festival (Unity Junior High School, Cicero)

Friday, December 5 - Elementary All-State Chorus Nomination Deadline

Wednesday, January 28 - January 31, 2026 - Illinois Music Education Conference (Peoria, Illinois)

Junior/Senior Participating School Fee - $50.00 per school building*

Elementary Participating School Fee - $40.00 per school building*

Junior/Senior Auditions - $10.00 per audition

Composition Contest Entry - $15.00 per submission

Elementary Festival Participation - $10.00 per student

Junior/Senior Festival Participation - $30.00 per student

All-State Student Participation, Senior Level - $30.00 per student

All-State Student Participation, Junior Level - $25.00 per student

All-State Student Participation, Elementary Level - $20.00 per student

*Schools need only pay the fee for the oldest participating level in a particular school building.