This year was to mark the 74th annual All-State Music Festival, a celebration of Iowa’s top high school student-musicians. Unfortunately, the 2020 event has fallen silent as earlier this month the Iowa High School Music Association and the Iowa Music Educators Association voted unanimously to cancel due to health and safety concerns presented by COVID-19.

But, as they say, the show must go on, even in the midst of a global pandemic, and so last week virtual auditions were held in order to select and honor Iowa’s top high school band, choir and orchestra members.

Our congratulations goes out to fifteen DMPS student-musicians – representing North and Roosevelt high schools – on earning all-state honors:

ALL-STATE BAND

  • Lauren Carpenter, oboe, 12 – Roosevelt
  • William Custis, euphonium, 12 – Roosevelt
  • Ada Fender, flute (alternate), 11 – Roosevelt
  • Joshua Perez, Alto Saxophone, 9 – North
  • Seth Rezek, percussion, 9 – Roosevelt

ALL-STATE CHORUS

  • Elena Busick, alto (alternate), 12 – Roosevelt
  • Alexis Castro, tenor, 11 – Roosevelt
  • Caitlyn Dean, soprano, 11 – Roosevelt
  • Emma Phomvisay, soprano, 11 – Roosevelt
  • Sam Ulrickson, tenor, 10 – Roosevelt

ALL-STATE ORCHESTRA

  • Campbell Helton, violin, 10 – Roosevelt
  • Ryan Huang, violin, 11 – Roosevelt
  • Hugo Kaut, violin, 11 – Roosevelt
  • Patricia Lazo-Chavez, violin, 11, North
  • Britt Swanson, percussion, 10 – Roosevelt

State-wide a total of 1,081 students were selected to receive all-state honors: 268 for band, 211 for orchestra, and 601 for the chorus. These students represent the top 1.7% of all Iowa high school musicians.

While they will not be able to perform in person at this year’s festival, each honored student will be presented with an All-State medal and certificate to recognize their talents.

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