Polson musicians perform at All-State festival

Polson High School musicians participated in the Montana High School Association All-State Music Festival on Oct. 20-22 in Great Falls.

Every spring, students audition with PHS Band Director Rich Sawyer and Choral Director Kaylee Schubert for a spot on the all-state band, choir and orchestra. This year Joseph Martinez was selected for first trumpet in All-State Band, one of 12 students selected from Class A schools in the 94-piece band.

Ryan Dupuis, singing tenor 2, and Kamdyn Burrough, singing alto 2, were selected for the All-State Choir. They are two of the 24 students selected from Class A schools in the 146-member choir.

The event began on Wednesday evening as students are chaired (band) by preparation and ability to perform pieces and given a masterclass session, followed by a full day of rehearsal on Thursday and Friday.

The University of Idaho Music Department presented a host-night prism concert with non-stop music from the university’s band, choir, orchestra, jazz and dance members. Friday the All-State Concert took place in the Mansfield Theatre at the Great Falls Civic Center under the direction of Scott Hagen, director of bands at the the University of Utah School of Music, and Kristina Caswell MacMullen, associate director of choral conducting at the University of North Texas, and Ovidiu Marinescu, artistic director of the International Musicians Academy in Bulgaria.

Highlights of the event included the band performance of “Give Us This Day” by the late Missoula composer David Maslanka, and the choirs had the opportunity to work choral composer Jake Runestad on his piece, “Please Stay.”

“It was an amazing experience and very fun to work with the high level musicians that were in the group,” Burrough said of the experience.