One of the WPCSD's performance plan goals is providing college and career ready opportunities for students. These opportunities include rigorous and authentic learning experiences like performing complex music and attending to precision, quality, and expressivity.
Students selected to all state ensembles must be willing to rehearse for hours prior to the event simply to learn the music. Then once they get to the event, they rehearse alongside their peers from other schools in the state and under the tutelage and expertise of their guest conductor. Guest conductors can be university professors, composers, and/or professional musicians. Students typically spend two full days rehearsing (7-8 hours each day), and conclude the event with a concert.
The musicians who participated this year include Eva Sorensen, WPMS, flute; Everlyse Wallace and Sophie Sandoval, WPMS alto; Kamry Bennett, and Aspyn Henk, WPMS soprano, Austin McShane and Cecil Kunz, WPMS tenor; Sam Sorensen and Craig Reed, WPHS bass, Ace Rodriguez and Ben Bailey, WPHS tenor; Natalie Garcia and Rebecca Murphree, WPHS alto; and Janessa Merrill and Lydia Kunz, WPHS soprano.
Additionally, mezzo soprano Tamara Griffin just returned from New York City, where she sang as a member of the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall.
WPHS vocalists will participate in the Northeast Regional Honor Choir Festival at the end of February. 30 singers were accepted into this choir based upon their audition process, which includes singing various scales, intervals, and excerpts without accompaniment. The entire choir will also perform at this festival, which is held in Elko.
The choir will also travel to the Clark County School District Advanced Choral Festival in April, where it will perform along with several dozen other high school ensembles. And following that, bass Sam Sorensen and soprano Janessa Merrill will participate in a second all state choir experience.
Both the instrumental and vocal programs will host home concerts this spring as well.
