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The Wellesley Public Schools Performing Arts Department has announced that during the 2016-17 school year, along with other talented music students across the United States and overseas in military base schools, Brian Jwa (senior viola student), Clare Kelley (junior choir student) and Peter Hodge (senior choir student) from Wellesley High School practiced with dedication to gain a chair or part in their local, district, and state music honor ensembles.
Due to their outstanding accomplishments at the state level, Brian, Clare and Peter will join the “best of the best” for the National Association for Music Education’s (NAfME) 2017 All-National Honor Ensembles from November 26-29, at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. The Jazz Band and Choir concerts take place 7:30-9:00 p.m., November 28, and the Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra concerts begin at 10:00 a.m., November 29, in the ballrooms at Disney Coronado Springs Resort. The concerts are free and open to the public. Tickets are not required.
The All-National Honor Ensembles performers represent collaboration and creativity in its highest musical form. The All-National Honor Ensembles consist of a concert band, symphony orchestra, mixed choir, and jazz ensemble. Students were chosen through an audition process. The concert band and symphony orchestra will each have 155 and 152 instrumentalists respectively, the jazz ensemble 20 instrumentalists, and the mixed choir 281 vocalists. Eligible students have qualified for their state-level honor ensemble program and competed against top students for a spot in these national honor ensembles.
Selected students will be rehearsing a challenging repertoire in preparation for performing under the baton of five of the most prominent conductors in the United States: Dr. Z. Randall Stroope (Mixed Choir); Dr. Margery Deutsch (Symphony Orchestra); Dr. T. André Feagin (Concert Band); and Todd Stoll with Lauren Sevian (Jazz Ensemble). All conductors have received top honors in their field and will spend several days rehearsing with students before the concert.
Names, schools and states, as well as music directors, of the 608 2017 All-National Honor Ensemble students are available at this website: nafme.org/ANHE.
Wellesley Public Schools is extremely proud of the accomplishment of these students in addition to being proud of the outstanding K-12 Performing Arts students and programs.
These students have studied and have been mentored at Wellesley High School with Orchestra Director Sergey Khanukaev and Director of Choral Activities Kevin McDonald and participate the Wellesley High School Ensembles.
