7 music students from Orleans perform at Area All-State

Photos and information courtesy of Zach Busch, Holley band teacher: (Left) Aurora Avery, left, and Sara Corser performed at Area All-State, representing Lyndonville. (Right) Two Albion students, Gideon Pask and Phoebe Allen, were part of the festival.

CHURCHVILLE – This weekend 7 students from Orleans County participated in the NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) Zone 2 Sr. High Area All-State festival at Churchville-Chili High School.

NYSSMA Zone 2 encompasses schools from Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Monroe, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, and Wayne counties. To be selected for Area All-State, students must first prepare a solo on their instrument or voice for adjudication at Solo Festival.

Then, based on their score and a teacher recommendation, an application is sent to a committee of music teachers from the NYSSMA Zone 2 area who select that year’s student participants in the Area All-State ensembles. Students performing at Area All-State are among the best of the best in the Zone 2 region.

These students include Aidan Kelley of Holley, River Jones of Medina and Elise Olsen of Medina.

Participating students from Orleans County include:

Albion: Gideon Pask, 12th grade – Mixed Choir; and Phoebe Allen, 11th grade – Mixed Choir.

Holley: Aidan Kelley, 11th grade  – Symphonic Band.

Lyndonville: Sara Corser, 11th grade – Mixed Choir; and Aurora Avery, 10th grade – Treble Choir.

Medina: River Jones, 11th grade – Symphonic Band; and Elise Olsen, 10th grade  – Symphonic Band.

Conducting the Symphonic Band was Dr. Jared Chase of Nazareth University, where he directs the Wind Ensemble. Dr. Chase also conducts the Penfield Symphony. The band performed “Galop” by Dmitri Shostakovich, “Rising Light” by Kevin Charoensrir, and movements from Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana”.

Conducting the Treble Choir was Dr. Crystal Sellers Battle of Eastman School of Music where she is the Inaugural Dean of Equity and Inclusion as well as the Director of the George Walker Center for Equity and Inclusion in Music. The treble choir performed works including “Colorful” by Philip E. Silvey, “Keep Your Lamps!” a spiritual arranged by Andre Thomas, and “Shine the Light” by Raymond Wise.

Conducting the Mixed Choir was Mr. Holden Maiorana who serves as the Director of Choirs at Spackenkill High School in Poughkeepsie, NY. Mr. Maiorana and his choirs have performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center, as well as in Europe. The mixed choir performed works including “Does the World Say?” by Pederson, “Wisdom of the Moon” by LaBarr – which featured Lyndonville soloist Sarah Corser, and a world premier of “Songs for the People” by Lloyd.