Edwardsville High Musicians Shine at Prestigious ILMEA All-State Event

EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School had a large contingency of band, choir and orchestra members attend the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State event in Peoria.

Edwardsville High School Principal Steve Stuart congratulated the outstanding musicians on their all-state status.

Edwardsville's contingency was as follows:

Riley Bryant, tuba

Karis Chen, violin

Chris Fuller, choir

Alessia Heiser, bassoon

Mark Hill, choir

Sophia Holobaugh, choir

Luci Klingensmith, oboe

Madeline Loyd, violin

David Maloney, clarinet

Celia Parise, choir

Liya Perham, viola

Lucy Schapman, choir

Carson Smejkal, trumpet

Maya Taylor, viola

Bubbles Thomas, double bass

Daniel Tossey, clarinet

Julia Towell, choir

Case Warner, choir

Ben Waymire, double bass

Amelia Zhang, viola

Hansen Zheng, cello

During the fall of 2023, over 10,000 students from elementary, junior high and high schools around Illinois participated in a virtual audition process and of those auditions, more than 7,000 students were selected to participate in district festivals celebrating student musicians in bands, orchestras, choruses and jazz ensembles.

Students in grades 9-12 who participated in the ILMEA District Festivals are also eligible to be selected into ILMEA’s All-State Student Programs. This year, 1500 students were selected to participate in the Illinois Music Education Association’s 2023 All-State Student Programs in Peoria, Illinois from January 24-27, 2024. In addition to the performing ensembles, this group also includes students who applied for and were accepted into the Future Music Educators Seminar for those students interested in pursuing careers as professional music educators, and students who entered the ILMEA Composition Contest and were selected to participate in the Composition Track. This is a unique and exciting track of events designed for exceptional students who are working in the areas of traditional composition, remix, singer/songwriter and other areas of music writing and production.

Students in the performing ensembles represent the best student musicians in Illinois and came together to present a series of All-State Concerts. On Friday, January 26, the 2024 Jazz Night Concert featured a night of music performed by the student vocal and instrumental jazz ensembles. The All-State Elementary Chorus Concert, the All-State Concert and the Honors Concerts were presented on Saturday, January 27, 2024. Each of these ensembles were led by distinguished conductors and educators from across the country.

The All-State Student Programs run concurrently with the Illinois Music Education Conference, the premier professional development opportunity for music educators in Illinois. This event brings over 12,000 students, educators, parents, and music education industry vendors to the Peoria Civic Center to celebrate and promote music education in Illinois.

For more information on the Illinois Music Education Association and opportunities for student musicians and music educators, please visit www.ilmea.org.

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