Sigurd Johnson, director of athletic bands with NDSU School of Music, has been invited to judge the London New Year’s Day Parade and Festival Gala Concert Series in England Dec. 27-Jan. 3. Johnson will serve on a panel of judges from the United States, England and China as they review 15 marching bands and 10 concert bands from around the world. 

The New Year’s Day Parade follows the famed ceremonial route that passes along the thoroughfares of Piccadilly, Regent Street and Whitehall and ends before the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. A live television audience of approximately 220 million people will view the parade worldwide while more than a half-million people view the parade live. 

The Festival Gala Concert Series is the most significant annual festival of youth music in London. The series will feature several concerts in venues throughout central London, including Cadogan Hall, home of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.