Stillwater Area High School hosts music festival

Stillwater Area High School hosted the annual Suburban East Conference (SEC) Music Festival on Monday, Feb. 2. Participating high schools in the conference include Cretin Derham Hall, Forest Lake, Hastings, Mounds View, Park, Roseville, Stillwater, White Bear Lake and Woodbury.

The festival celebrates the music programs in the SEC and features the top bands, choirs and orchestras from across the conference.

Groups from the schools performed throughout the day for their peers and for professional clinicians.

In addition, a select group of All-Conference musicians performed in a grand finale evening concert. Approximately 300 students were named to the All-Conference groups this year including the following students from Stillwater Area Public Schools.

Performing in the All-Conference Choir were: sopranos Katie McKay, Anna Erickson, Alecea O’Connor, Rebecca Hazard; altos Claire Shaller, Katie Asproth, Aria Trombley; tenors Joey Doischer, Robert Klink, Jack Swanson; and singing bass were Josh Conroy, Matt Garavalia, Luke Johnson, Roerick Sweeney, Jesse Anderson, and John Peters.

All-Conference Orchestra members were: Alex Anderson, Laura Swenson, Samm Lundeen, Alissa Jacobsen, Elaine Downie, Lauren Benish, Vicki Han, Linsday Kruse, Andy Potter, Kelly Erickson, Sara Cattanach (principal cellist), Sean Kaelble, Ally Mason, Seth Spawn, Catey Bouley (principal bass), Eli Nord, Blake Radke, Will Esch, Annelise Appleseth, Chappy Gibbs, Ross Livermore, Joseph Carlson, Anna Peterson, Torie Nelson, Sarah Stoltzman, Thomas Printon, and Derek Olson.

All-Conference Band performers were: Rachael Brown, Krystal Mondor, Laura Christianson, Laura Frost, Kristen Mueller, Solveig Neseth, and Genna Knurr.

Guest conductors for the 2009 festival were band director Dr. Douglas Orzolek, associate professor of music education and associate director of bands at the University of St. Thomas and choir director Dr. Gary Schwartzhoff from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire; and directing the orchestra was maestro David Barg, internationally renowned conductor and music educator from New York, N.Y.

Tags: education, stillwater, woodbury, music, festival, high, school