What does it look and sound like when more than 50 marimba performers get together for a concert? Come to the 2026 Heartland Marimba International Festival and find out. The festival will be held from Wednesday, Nov. 4, through Sunday, Nov. 8, at various locations in and around Lancaster County, culminating in a featured performance at Millersville University on Nov. 8.

"The marimba is a versatile instrument - warm and resonant, sharp and percussive - and the wide variety of music genres being performed will showcase all these musical attributes," said Stephanie Smith, director of the Lancaster Marimba Ensemble and co-director of the Heartland Marimba International Festival. "Their size makes people wonder how we move them (spoiler alert - we take them apart), and their designs are akin to a piece of art. Performers move around frequently, and the audience can see the instrument being played, which adds to the engagement of the audience."

This is the second year for the festival, which began last year under the name Musser Marimba Festival.

"It started with the directors - Matthew Coley, David Harvey and myself - desiring to honor Clair Omar Musser, a Manheim native who was a visionary for marimba design, teaching and composing," Smith said. "Some of his most celebrated work was bringing 100 to 200 people together to play in marimba orchestras. Those orchestras were our inspiration for organizing one of our own. We wanted to celebrate his legacy and engage a whole new generation with the melodious and unique sound of the marimba."

The festival will feature marimba players from across the United States and around the world who will offer an immersive week of rehearsals, master classes, lectures, educational presentations and large-scale marimba performances.

On Nov. 4, David Harvey will present "Pennsylvania's Marimba History" at the Manheim Historical Society Train Station, 210 S. Charlotte St., at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m., Heartland Marimba and Lebanon Valley Percussion will present a concert in the Blair Music Center of Lebanon Valley College, 101 N. College Ave., Annville. On Friday, Nov. 6, a "We the People" First Friday presentation will be featured at The Ware Center, 42 N. Prince St., Lancaster, at 6:45 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 7, Heartland Marimba will present "Jukebox Night With Friends" at 7:30 p.m. at The Ware Center. The festival will conclude on Nov. 8 with a Heartland Marimba International Festival orchestra performance at the Winter Center at Millersville University, 60 W. Cottage Ave., at 2:30 p.m.

In addition to festival activities in Lancaster, participants and guest artists will travel throughout Pennsylvania, New York and Indiana for a series of performances, clinics and master classes, highlighting the versatility and artistic potential of the marimba while fostering collaboration among performers, educators and students.

Smith, who is the assistant director of Manheim Central's marching band, has played the marimba since she was in fourth grade. She studied it more seriously at Millersville University and then joined the Lancaster Marimba Ensemble 30 years ago, becoming director in 2020.

She's excited to introduce people to the marimba or bring longtime fans together to enjoy the instrument at the festival.

"People can expect to be delighted," she said. "Each event will feature different groupings of marimba performers, and each venue is unique in how the marimbas will be experienced by an audience. We also love to share the instrument's history, and Lancaster has quite the marimba story to be shared."

Lancaster County played a major role in popularizing the marimba, with musician Musser promoting the instrument. A Manheim native, he was a marimba virtuoso, conductor, composer, teacher and keyboard percussion designer who lived from 1901 to 1998.

The festival provides a way for Smith and other marimba players to showcase the unique instrument.

"One of the things I like best about the festival is the community built between the performers and those attending," she commented. "Everyone is so willing to share about the instrument they love."

For a complete list of festival events and details, visit http://www.lancastermarimba.com/heartland-marimba-festival.