Herricks Students Selected for 2013 All-State Music Festival

Herricks High School received 13 letters of acceptance for students selected 
to participate in the 2013 All-State Music Festival, which will be held in early 
December in Rochester, New York.

The annual festival, sponsored by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA), is considered the highest honor a school musician can attain. In order to be accepted a musician must receive a perfect score in a formal audition performance, requiring preparation and performance of a level six (most difficult) solo, a sight-reading exam, and performance of thirteen scales.

Over 6,000 high school sophomores and juniors audition for All-State each year and only 800 are accepted state-wide.

While in Rochester, the students will rehearse and perform with nationally recognized conductors in musical ensembles including a wind ensemble, a symphonic band, a symphony orchestra, a string orchestra, a mixed choir, a women’s choir, a jazz ensemble and a vocal jazz ensemble. All performances take place at the historic Eastman Theatre in downtown Rochester. 

The selected students are Esther Chen, violin; William Chung, Alto Saxophone 
and jazz alto saxophone, Ellen Cooper, violin; Angel Ding, violin; Zachery Elgort, snare drum and jazz drum set; Andrew Greiche, Tenor Voice; Rachel Kim, cello; Kyra Koe, violin; Dustin Liu, cello; Luelle Grace Serrano, violin; Alison Varghese, Alto voice.

Teachers sponsoring these students include Robin Maddox, strings; Louise O’Hanlon, vocalists; and Scott Stickley, band students.