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Norwalks finest young musicians played their instruments and sang with the best of the best last week at the annual All-State Music Festival in Hartford.
Last Thursday, 15 musicians from Norwalk High School and Brien McMahon joined more than 600 high school students from 112 schools across Connecticut for a musical collaboration sponsored by Connecticut Music Educators Association. The musicians were selected for four categories: orchestra, choir, jazz band and band. The event lasted three music-filled days. The students spent Thursday and Friday rehearsing the repertoire and, on Saturday, performed a grand concert at the Connecticut Convention Center.
You learn about working with other musicians and focus and concentration," said Emma Lott, a senior violinist at Norwalk High School, who has participated in All-States since freshman year. We had eight to nine hours a day of rehearsal. In the end, you are really tired, but the concert is always amazing.
The orchestra played a Romeo and Juliet suite by Proskiev as one of their featured pieces.
For Hannah Halsey, a junior flutist at NHS, this was her first year at All-States.
Its definitely intimidating at first, said Hannah. I was with the best kids from all over the state.
In spite of being nervous, Hannah said she enjoyed the experience.
I loved being around people who care as much about music as I do, she said.
To be selected for All-States, the students passed two rounds of auditionsone for a regional performance and a more difficult audition for the All-State concert.
The 15 students from Norwalk who participated in All-States this year included:
Orchestra NHS: Sam Keogh, Emma Lott, Megha Nadig, Liam Hanna
Jazz Band BMHS: Mike Camacho
Band NHS: Hannah Halsey, Colin McGrath; BMHS: Justine Stephens
Chorus NHS: John Consolo, Ryan Swik, Alex Handler; BMHS: Julia Gallagher, Maria Caputo, Pavlina Schriel, Anthony Ditoranto
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