Several students from North Platte St. Patrick’s High School and North Platte High School have been selected to participate in this year’s All-State Chorus and All-State Orchestra.

Each year, approximately 3,00 of the best high school musicians in the state audition for the Nebraska All-State Band, Chorus, Jazz Band and Orchestra which are all sponsored by the Nebraska Music Educators Association.  Of those 3,000, over 400 are selected for participation in the annual event.

Selection as a member in one of these groups is one of the highest musical honors attainable in Nebraska.

This year’s group will be conducted by Andre J. Thomas.  Thomas is the Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Choral Music Education at Florida State University.  Thomas has distinguished himself as a composer/arranger. Hinshaw Music Company, Mark Foster Music Company, Fitzsimmon Music Company, Lawson Gould, Earthsongs, and Heritage Music Company publish his compositions and arrangements.

North Platte High School Music Instructor, Leah Purdy, say, “I am always excited to take a group of students like this to Lincoln for the experience of a lifetime.” She added, “There is nothing like feeling the room light up when the All-State Chorus sings together for the first time each year.  It’s experiences like these that keep me in teaching.”

After rehearsals during the week, a public concert will be held on Saturday, November 23rd at the Lied Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Campus.

This year’s participants include:

St. Patrick’s High School-Alex Harms-Chorus

North Platte High School-Katie Roessler-Chorus, Lauren Magner-Chorus, Kat McClintock-Chorus, Sydney McGahan-Chorus, Nathan McGahan-Chorus, Andrew Parish-Chorus, Jacob Perez-Chorus, Garrett Kreifels-Chorus (Alternate), Hannah Lee-Chorus (Alternate), Lance Oltmanns-Orchestra