John Philip Sousa Foundation

The John Philip Sousa Foundation is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the promotion of band music internationally. The foundation administers a number of projects and awards supporting high quality band performance, conducting, and composition.
The foundation is named for John Philip Sousa, a prominent composer of American band music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Successor to the Sousa Memorial Committee, the organization was reorganized as the John Philip Sousa Foundation in 1980 with support from Louis Sudler, a Chicago real estate developer and arts patron for whom many of the foundation's awards are named.

Projects

Projects of the Sousa Foundation include funding for the main stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., honor bands, conducting competitions, awards for outstanding performing ensembles, and bringing attention to historic sites in band history. Many of the foundation's awards are funded through an endowment from Louis and Virginia Sudler, and are collectively known as the "Louis Sudler Awards of Merit".

The Sousa National High School Honors Band

Founded in 1981, the Sousa National High School Honors Band is an ensemble made up of roughly 100 high school junior and senior musicians, selected from the top applicants worldwide. The band performs semi-regularly at a variety of locations around the United States.

The Sudler Flag of Honor

The Sudler Flag of Honor is an award bestowed to identify, recognize and honor high school band programs internationally that have demonstrated particularly significant high standards of excellence in concert activities over a period of several years. No school may win the award twice under the same director. The official description of a deserving band is:

The band must have achieved and maintained a high standard of excellence in the concert area over a period of several years. The concert band will have placed itself in situations where there has been opportunity for evaluation by qualified persons or has been rated "superior" at state, regional, or national levels in concert activities. The band program must offer its participants a complete and balanced program of musical activities including concert, solo, ensemble, and marching areas. The band should have performed at regional, state, national, and professional meetings of significance. These can include but are not limited to state music conventions, regional or national MENC meetings, and state or national band association conventions. The director must have been incumbent in his/her position for at least seven years, including the current year. A number of the students in the band should have participated in district and all-state honor bands or similar all-area groups.

The Sudler Flag of Honor is typically considered to be the highest award a high school band can achieve. Sudler Flag laureate bands are automatically included on the Historic Roll of Honor. The following are the recipients of the Sudler Flag since its inception in 1983:

1983 – Alice High School Band, Alice, Texas
1983 – L. D. Bell High School Band, Hurst, Texas
1983 – Georgetown High School Band, Georgetown, Texas
1983 – North Hills High School Band, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1983 – Papillion-La Vista Senior High School Band, Papillion, Nebraska
1983 – Richardson High School Band, Richardson, Texas
1983 – Wheat Ridge High School Band, Wheat Ridge, Colorado
1984 – Lloyd V. Berkner High School Band, Richardson, Texas
1984 – Glenbard East High School Band, Lombard, Illinois
1984 – Hardaway High School Band, Columbus, Georgia
1984 – Reynoldsburg High School Band, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
1984 – Oconomowoc High School Band, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
1985 – Clear Lake High School Band, Houston, Texas
1985 – Grand Ledge High School Band, Grand Ledge, Michigan
1985 – South Lakes High School Band, Reston, Virginia
1985 – Stevens High School Band, Rapid City, South Dakota
1985 – Valparaiso High School Band, Valparaiso, Indiana
1986 – J.J. Pearce High School Band, Richardson, Texas
1986 – Lakeland High School Band, Lakeland, Florida
1987 – Auburn High School Band, Auburn, Alabama
1987 – Lake Highlands High School Band, Dallas, Texas
1988 – Duncanville High School Band, Duncanville, Texas
1988 – Lassiter High School Band, Marietta, Georgia
1988 – Mason City High School Band, Mason City, Iowa
1989 – Coronado High School Band, El Paso, Texas
1989 – James Madison High School Band, Vienna, Virginia
1989 – Sumter High School Band, Sumter, South Carolina
1990 – Herndon High School Band, Herndon, Virginia
1991 – Marian Catholic High School Band, Chicago Heights, Illinois
1991 – Pearl City High School Band, Pearl City, Hawaii
1991 – Robert E. Lee High School Band, Midland, Texas
1992 – J.W. Robinson High School Band, Fairfax, Virginia
1993 – Lakeland High School Band, Lakeland, Florida
1993 – George C. Marshall High School Band, Falls Church, Virginia
1994 – Clements High School Band, Sugar Land, Texas
1994 – Lake Braddock Secondary School Band, Burke, Virginia
1994 – The Colony High School Band, The Colony, Texas
1994 – Westfield High School Band, Houston, Texas
1995 – W.T. Woodson High School Band, Fairfax, Virginia
1995 – Spring High School Band, Spring, Texas
1996 – Norcross High School Band, Norcross, Georgia
1997 – Klein Forest High School Band, Houston, Texas
1997 – Langham Creek High School Band, Houston, Texas
1997 – Owasso High School Band, Owasso, Oklahoma
1997 – Westmoore High School Band, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1998 – Jack C. Hays High School Band, Buda, Texas
1998 – Westlake High School Band, Austin, Texas
1999 – Irmo High School Band, Irmo, South Carolina
2000 – Leon High School Band, Tallahassee, Florida
2000 – J.J. Pearce High School Band, Richardson, Texas
2000 – McLean High School Band, McLean, Virginia
2002 – Buchholz High School Band, Gainesville, Florida
2003 – North Hardin High School Band, Radcliff, Kentucky
2003 – The Woodlands High School Band, The Woodlands, Texas
2004 – Dobyns-Bennett High School Band, Kingsport, Tennessee
2004 – Lloyd V. Berkner High School Band, Richardson, Texas
2005 – J.W. Robinson High School Band, Fairfax, Virginia
2005 – Parkview High School Band, Lilburn, Georgia
2006 – Friendswood High School Band, Friendswood, Texas
2006 – Cypress Falls High School Band, Houston, Texas
2006 – Harrison High School Band, Kennesaw, Georgia
2007 – Wando High School Band, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
2007 – John Hersey High School Band, Arlington Heights, Illinois
2008 – William [Mason High School (Mason, Ohio)|William Mason High School] Band, Mason, Ohio
2008 – Lockport Township High School Band, Lockport, Illinois
2008 – Poteet High School Band, Mesquite, Texas
2008 – Permian High School Band, Odessa, Texas
2009 – Neuqua Valley High School Band, Naperville, Illinois
2010 – None selected
2011 – James Madison High School Band, Vienna, Virginia
2011 – Hebron High School Band, Carrollton, Texas
2011 – W.T. Woodson High School Band, Fairfax, Virginia
2012 – Roxbury High School Band, Succasunna, New Jersey
2013 – Marcus High School Band, Flower Mound, Texas
2014 – Lafayette High School Band, Lexington, Kentucky
2015 – Midlothian High School Band, Midlothian, Texas
2015 – Plano East Senior High School Band, Plano, Texas
2016 – Brazoswood High School Band, Clute, Texas
2017 – Lake Braddock Secondary School Band, Burke, Virginia
2017 – McLean High School Band, McLean, Virginia
2019 – Crosby High School Band, Crosby, Texas
2019 – Hikarigaoka Girls' High School Wind Orchestra, Okazaki, Aichi
2020 – Vandegrift High School Band, Austin, Texas
2021 – Mansfield Summit High School Band, Arlington, Texas
2021 – Vista Ridge High School Band, Cedar Park, Texas
2022 – Flower Mound High School Band, Flower Mound, Texas
2022 – O'Fallon Township High School Band, O'Fallon, Illinois
2023 – Broken Arrow High School Band, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

The Sudler Cup

The Sudler Cup is an award bestowed to identify, recognize and honor junior high and middle school concert band programs that have demonstrated particularly significant high standards of excellence in concert activities over a period of several years. The official description of a deserving band is:

The band must have achieved and maintained a high standard of literature in the concert area over a period of several years. The concert band will have placed itself in situations where there has been opportunity for evaluation by qualified persons or has been rated "superior" at state, regional, or national levels in concert activities. The band should have performed at regional, state, national, and professional meetings of significance. These can include but are not limited to state music conventions, regional or national MENC meetings, and state or national band association conventions. The director must have been incumbent in his/her position for at least seven years, including the current year. A number of the students in the band should have participated in district and all-state honor bands or similar all-area groups. The total program of music should exemplify what is considered a sound viable, music education program for this level of endeavor.

The following are the recipients of the Sudler Cup since its inception in 1985:

1985 – Morehead Junior High, El Paso, Texas
1985 – Asheville Junior High, Asheville, North Carolina
1985 – Gunn Junior High, Arlington, Texas
1985 – Oconomowoc Junior High, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
1986 – Adamson Junior High, Rex, Georgia
1986 – Southwest Junior High, Lakeland, Florida
1987 – Morrow Junior High, Morrow, Georgia
1988 – Scottsbluff Junior High, Scottsbluff, Nebraska
1989 – Richardson North Jr. High, Richardson, Texas
1989 – David Crockett Junior High, Odessa, Texas
1990 – Murchison Middle School, Austin, Texas
1990 – Thoreau Intermediate School, Vienna, Virginia
1990 – Westwood Junior High, Dallas, Texas
1992 – McAdams Middle School, Dickinson, Texas
1992 – Wm. Adams Junior High, Alice, Texas
1993 – Highlands Intermediate School, Pearl City, Hawaii
1993 – Hodges Bend Middle School, Houston, Texas
1994 – DeSoto West Middle School, DeSoto, Texas
1994 – Pittman Middle School, Hueytown, Alabama
1995 – Prairie Middle School, Hutchinson, Kansas
1995 – Herndon Middle School, Herndon, Virginia
1997 – Nimitz Jr. High School, Odessa, Texas
1997 – Robinson Middle School, Fairfax, Virginia
1997 – The Colony Middle School, The Colony, Texas
1999 – Longfellow Middle School, Falls Church, Virginia
2000 – Irmo Middle School, Columbia, South Carolina
2000 – Space Center Intermediate School, Houston, Texas
2001 – Gordon A. Bailey Middle School, Austin, Texas
2001 – Robert Frost Middle School, Fairfax, Virginia
2001 – Lake Braddock Secondary School, Burke, Virginia
2002 – First Colony Middle School, Sugar Land, Texas
2003 – Coyle Middle School, Rowlett, Texas
2003 – Grisham Middle School, Austin, Texas
2004 – North Ridge Middle School, North Richland Hills, Texas
2004 – Holub Middle School, Houston, Texas
2005 – L.J Alleman Middle School, Lafayette, Louisiana
2005 – Cooper Middle School, McLean, Virginia
2006 – Oliver McCracken Middle School, Skokie, Illinois
2007 – Cedar Park Middle School, Cedar Park, Texas
2008 – Fort Settlement Middle School, Sugar Land, Texas
2010 – Artie Henry Middle School, Cedar Park, Texas
2010 – Forbes Middle School, Georgetown, Texas
2010 – Space Center Intermediate School, Houston, Texas
2011 – Kealing Middle School Wind Ensemble, Austin, Texas
2012 – Fort Clarke Middle School Symphonic Band, Gainesville, Florida
2012 – West Ridge Middle School Wind Ensemble Band, Austin, Texas
2013 – Indian Springs Middle School Band, Keller, Texas
2014 – Rice Middle School Wind Ensemble, Plano, Texas
2016 – Adelle R. Clark Middle School Band, Frisco, Texas
2017 – Canyon Ridge Middle School, Austin, Texas
2017 – Cockrill Middle School, McKinney, Texas
2017 – Riverwatch Middle School, Suwanee, Georgia
2017 – Shadow Ridge Middle School, Flower Mound, Texas
2018 – TA Howard Middle School, Mansfield, Texas
2019 – Arbor Creek Middle School, Carrollton, Texas
2019 – Roma Middle School, Roma, Texas
2021 – Cooper Middle School, Fairfax County, Virginia
2022 – Berry Miller Junior High School, Pearland, Texas

Sudler Trophy

The Sudler Trophy is an award bestowed on one university marching band. It was awarded annually from 1982 to 2007 and biannually since then. Described by a Los Angeles Times reporter as "he Heisman Trophy of the collegiate band world", the award does not represent the winner of any championship, but rather a band surrounded by great tradition that has become respected nationally. No school may be honored with the award twice. According to the official description of the trophy:

The purpose of the Sudler Trophy is to identify and recognize collegiate marching bands of particular excellence who have made outstanding contributions to the American way of life. The Sudler Trophy is awarded annually to a college or university marching band which has demonstrated the highest musical standards and innovative marching routines and ideas, and which has made important contributions to the advancement of the performance standards of college marching bands over a period of years.

The trophy measures exactly from the base to the tip of the drum major's mace; precisely the size of a standard 8 to 5 step in marching.
The following are the recipients of the Sudler Trophy since its inception in 1982:

Year	Marching band	University
1982	Michigan Marching Band
1983	Marching Illini
1984	The Ohio State University Marching Band	Ohio State University
1985	Marching 100	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
1986	Longhorn Band
1987	Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band\|Pride of Oklahoma]
1988	Spartan Marching Band	Michigan State University
1989	Marching Jayhawks
1990	Hawkeye Marching Band
1991	Sun Devil Marching Band	Arizona State University
1992	Wildcat Marching Band	Northwestern University
1993	Bruin Marching Band
1994	Marching Royal Dukes	James Madison University
1995	All-American Marching Band	Purdue University
1996	Cornhusker Marching Band
1997	Mountaineer Marching Band	West Virginia University
1998	Minuteman Marching Band
1999	Goin' Band from Raiderland	Texas Tech University
2000	Georgia Redcoat Marching Band
2001	Fightin' Texas Aggie Band	Texas A&M University
2002	Tiger Marching Band
2003	Million Dollar Band
2004	Auburn University Marching Band	Auburn University
2005	Penn State Blue Band
2006	Razorback Marching Band
2007	Marching Hundred
2009	Pride of the Mountains	Western Carolina University
2011	Band of the Fighting Irish
2013	The Pride of the Sunshine
2015	The Pride of Wildcat Land	Kansas State University
2017	Iowa State University Cyclone Football 'Varsity' Marching Band	Iowa State University
2019	"Incomparable" Golden Rams Marching Band	West Chester University of Pennsylvania
2022	The Marching Southerners	Jacksonville State University
2024	The Pride of Arizona
2026	Famous Maroon Band

The Sudler Shield

The Sudler Shield recognizes outstanding high school marching bands.
The following are the recipients of the Sudler Shield:

1987 – Enterprise High School, Enterprise, Alabama
1987 – Federal Hocking High School, Stewart, Ohio
1987 – Mountain Crest High School, Hyrum, Utah
1987 – Tenri Seminary High School, Nara, Japan
1988 – Cambridge High School, Cambridge, Ohio
1988 – Clovis High School, Clovis, California
1988 – John Overton High School, Nashville, Tennessee
1989 – Grove City High School, Grove City, Ohio
1989 – Mills E. Godwin High School, Richmond, Virginia
1989 – Manzano High School, Albuquerque, New Mexico
1989 – Mt. Juliet High School, Mount Juliet, Tennessee
1989 – Neuces Canyon High School, Barksdale, Texas
1989 – Newton High School, Pleasant Hill, Ohio
1989 – Norwin High School, North Huntingdon Township, Pennsylvania
1990 – Clinton High School, Clinton, Mississippi
1991 – Lafayette High School, Lexington, Kentucky
1992 – Coronado High School Band, El Paso, Texas
1992 – John Overton High School, Nashville, Tennessee
1992 – North Hardin High School, Radcliff, Kentucky
1992 – Pope High School, Marietta, Georgia
1993 – Fred C. Beyer High School, Modesto, California
1993 – Sumter High School, Sumter, South Carolina
1994 – McGavock High School, Nashville, Tennessee
1996 – Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Lexington, Kentucky
1997 – Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, Illinois
1998 – Duncanville High School, Duncanville, Texas
1998 – Lafayette High School, Lexington, Kentucky
1998 – Lassiter High School, Marietta, Georgia
1998 – Pupuk Kaltim School, Bontang, Kaltim, Indonesia
1999 – Broken Arrow High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
1999 – Harrison County High School, Cynthiana, Kentucky
1999 – Westfield High School, Houston, Texas
2000 – Aimachi Marching Band, Handa, Aichi, Japan
2000 – Lawrence Central High School, Indianapolis, Indiana
2001 – James F. Byrnes High School, Duncan, South Carolina
2002 – Kashiwa City High School, Kashiwa, Japan
2002 – Kennesaw Mountain High School, Kennesaw, Georgia
2002 – Yokohama Marching Band, Yokohama, Japan
2003 – Allen High School, Allen, Texas
2003 – Seminole High School, Seminole, Florida
2004 – Collins Hill High School, Suwanee, Georgia
2004 – L.D. Bell High School, Hurst, Texas
2004 – Owasso High School, Owasso, Oklahoma
2005 – James Bowie High School, Austin, Texas
2005 – Show and Marchingband Kunst & Genoegen, Leiden, Netherlands
2005 – Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Lexington, Kentucky
2005 – Ronald Reagan High School, San Antonio, Texas
2006 – Cedar Park High School, Cedar Park, Texas
2006 – Langham Creek High School, Houston, Texas
2007 – Avon High School, Avon, Indiana
2007 – Marcus High School, Flower Mound, Texas
2008 – Broken Arrow High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
2008 – Coppell High School, Coppell, Texas
2008 – Musica Grato High School, Himi, Toyama, Japan
2008 – Tarpon Springs High School, Tarpon Springs, Florida
2009 – American Fork High School, American Fork, Utah
2009 – Chonkanyanukoon High School, Amphur Muang, Chomburi, Thailand
2009 – Walton High School, Marietta, Georgia
2009 – The Woodlands High School, The Woodlands, Texas
2010 – Hebron High School, Carrollton, Texas
2010 – Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
2011 – Sultanah Asma Marching Band, Kedah, Malaysia
2011 – Homestead High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana
2011 – William Mason High School, Mason, Ohio
2012 – Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana
2012 – Plano East Senior High School, Plano, Texas
2013 – Blue Springs High School, Blue Springs, Missouri
2013 – Calgary Stampede Showband, Calgary, Alberta
2013 – James Bowie High School, Austin, Texas
2013 – Kanagawa Prefecture Shonandai High School, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
2014 – Claudia Taylor Johnson High School, San Antonio, Texas
2014 – Dobyns-Bennett High School, Kingsport, Tennessee
2014 – Franklin High School, Franklin, Tennessee
2014 – Round Rock High School, Round Rock, Texas
2015 – Broken Arrow High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
2015 – Keller High School, Keller, Texas
2016 – Castle High School, Newburgh, Indiana
2016 – Chien Kuo Senior High School, Taipei City, Taiwan
2016 – Keat Hwa Secondary School, Alor Setar, Malaysia
2016 – Russell County High School, Russell Springs, Kentucky
2016 – Vista Murrieta High School, Murrieta, California
2017 – Flower Mound High School, Flower Mound, Texas
2017 – Greendale High School, Greendale, Wisconsin
2017 – Morton High School, Morton, Illinois
2017 – Vista Ridge High School, Cedar Park, Texas
2018 – Adair County High School, Columbia, Kentucky
2018 – Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana
2018 – North Lamar High School, Paris, Texas
2018 – The Woodlands High School, The Woodlands, Texas
2019 – Mineola High School, Mineola, Texas
2019 – Vandegrift High School, Austin, Texas
2021 – Brownsburg High School, Brownsburg, Indiana
2021 – Southlake Carroll High School, Southlake, Texas
2021 – Wakeland High School, Frisco, Texas
2021 – Murray High School (Kentucky), Murray, Kentucky
2021 – Canton High School (Texas), Canton, Texas
2022 – William Mason High School, Mason, Ohio
2022 – Fishers High School, Fishers, Indiana
2022 – Beechwood High School, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
2022 – Anderson County High School, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
2022 – , Katwijk, Netherlands
2023 – Bentonville High School, Bentonville, Arkansas
2023 – Bridgeland High School, Cypress, Texas
2023 – O'Fallon Township High School, O'Fallon, Illinois
2023 – Waxahachie High School, Waxahachie, Texas
2023 – Estill County High School, Irvine, Kentucky
2024 – Marcus High School, Flower Mound, Texas
2024 – Seven Lakes High School, Katy, Texas
2024 – Krum High School, Krum, Texas

The Sudler Silver Scroll

The Sudler Scroll recognizes and honors those community bands that have demonstrated particularly high standards of excellence in concert activities over a period of several years, and which have played a significant and leading role in the cultural and musical environment in their respective communities.
Those community concert bands which have won the award include:

Northshore Concert Band, Evanston, Illinois
Lawrence City Band, Lawrence, Kansas
Kiel Municipal Band, Kiel, Wisconsin
Tacoma Concert Band, Tacoma, Washington
Allentown Band, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Naperville Municipal Band, Naperville, Illinois
Sarasota Mobile Home Band, Sarasota, Florida
Austin Symphonic Band, Austin, Texas
Racine Municipal Band, Racine, Wisconsin
Lansing Concert Band, Lansing, Michigan
Texas Wind Symphony, Arlington, Texas
Medalist Concert Band, Bloomington, Minnesota
Kent Stark Concert Band, Canton, Ohio
Scottsdale Concert Band, Scottsdale, Arizona
Ridgewood Concert Band, Ridgewood, New Jersey
Tara Winds Concert Band, Hampton, Georgia
Coastal Communities Concert Band, San Diego, California
Lakeland Civic Band, Kirtland, Ohio
Twin City Concert Band, West Monroe, Louisiana
San Jose Wind Symphony, San Jose, California
Corpus Christi Wind Symphony, Corpus Christi, Texas
Community Band of Brevard, Brevard County, Florida
Lafayette Concert Band, Lafayette, Louisiana
Virginia Grand Military Band, Arlington, Virginia
Allentown Band, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Lafayette Citizens Band, Lafayette, Indiana
Pensacola Civic Band, Pensacola, Florida
Tempe Wind Ensemble, Tempe, Arizona
Atlanta Wind Symphony, Atlanta, Georgia
Houston Symphonic Band, Houston, Texas
Penn Central Wind Band, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
City of Fairfax Band, Fairfax, Virginia
West Michigan Winds, Muskegon, Michigan
Knightwind Ensemble, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
South Jersey Area Wind Ensemble, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
Oregon Symphonic Band, Portland, Oregon
Tennessee Concert Band, Knoxville, Tennessee
East Winds Symphonic Band, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Minnesota Symphonic Winds, Edina, Minnesota
Cobb Wind Symphony, Marietta, Georgia
Savannah River Winds, North Augusta, South Carolina
Virginia Wind Symphony, Norfolk, Virginia
Lone Star Symphonic Band, Houston, Texas
Lake Oswego Millennium Concert Band, Lake Oswego, Oregon
Concord Band, Concord, Massachusetts
East Texas Symphonic Band, Longview, Texas
Metropolitan Wind Symphony, Boston, Massachusetts
Sierra Nevada Wind Orchestra, Gold River, California
Montgomery County Concert Band, Hatfield, Pennsylvania
Waukesha Area Symphonic Band, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
Carrollton Wind Symphony, Frisco, Texas
Buffalo Niagara Concert Band, Buffalo, New York
Fairfax Wind Symphony, Fairfax, Virginia
The Woodlands Concert Band, The Woodlands, Texas
The Heart of Texas Concert Band, San Antonio, Texas
The First Coast Wind Symphony, Jacksonville, Florida

The Sudler International Composition Competition

The Sudler International Composition Competition is a biennial competition for wind band composition.
The following are the winners of the competition since its inception in 1983:

Year	Composition	Composer
1983	Concerto for Wind Ensemble	Karel Husa
1985	Winds of Nagual	Michael Colgrass
1987	Piece of Mind	Dana Wilson
1989	Symphony No. 1 "The Lord of the Rings"	Johan de Meij
1991	American Games	Nicholas Maw
1993	Passacaglia	Ron Nelson
1997	Dance Movements	Philip Sparke