• Several students were selected for more than one All-State ensemble. 

Qualifying music students from Star Valley High School traveled to Kelly Walsh High School in Casper to participate in the Wyoming All-State Music Festival January 15-17.  Musicians spent two days in a clinic, studying with guest clinicians and conductors. The festival concluded with a concert that showcased the hard work and musicianship of the performers.

“Orchestra students worked with Steven Amundsen from St. Olaf College who has conducted a national youth orchestra in South Korea and guest conducted many professional symphony orchestras in the United States,” shared Lisa Barber, who serves as Orchestra Director at SVHS, in an interview with SVI Media via email last week. “Mr. Amundsen was impressed with the high level of performance of our Wyoming orchestra students and with their talent and willingness to work and learn. He is also a nationally recognized composer, and it was a special opportunity for the orchestra to perform a piece he wrote.”

Seniors Kaelle Opitz, who plays the viola, and Jonathan Buehler, who is a vocalist, were honored with an All-State music selection each year of their  high school experience, which, according to SVHS Choir Director, Kari Allred, “is a very difficult thing to do and not many receive that honor.”

Maren Arbizu and Ryan Gibbons were both selected to perform with the All-State Jazz Band, which is a rare opportunity for band students. The last time SVHS sent students to All-State Jazz Band was 2017.  “Being selected for this group is very special,” shared Kurt Sand, Band Director at SVHS. “Maren is one of two pianists selected from the entire state. Ryan is one of just 10 trumpets selected. The competition is pretty stiff, and available positions are very limited.”

Additionally, four SVHS students were selected for more than one All-State ensemble. Arbizu was also selected to play with All-State Orchestra. Anna Haderlie, Daphne Olsen and Charlotte Crook auditioned for choir and orchestra, and all three received All-State selections to both ensembles. “That’s amazing and shows what incredible musicians they truly are,” shared Allred.

Other students selected from SVHS to participate in an All-State ensemble included Archer Dugan, who played percussion in the All-State Band. The SVHS choir program had 24 students total selected for All-State, and the SVHS orchestra program had 16 students selected.

Orchestra All-State qualifiers from SVHS included: Daphne Olsen, Maren Arbizu, Sabrina Olsen, Shay Frazier, Thomas Randall, Maggie Daniel, Hunter Randall, Ella Cranney, Zoey Scherbel, Paxton Probst, Landon Walker, Brigham Hahn, Kaelle Opitz, Ethan Eyre, Charlotte Crook and Ashton Aitken.

Choir All-State qualifiers from SVHS included:  Maya Allred, Ammon Baird, Ainsley Bowman, Adam Bringhurst, Grant Buchanan, Jase Burton, McKadie Draney, William Egbert, Brennan Fullmer, Brock Haderlie, Hallie Hokanson, Alison Hoopes, Bria Jack, Dylan Kallgren, Jacob Knighton, Ellie McCombie, Cody Nelson, Anson Robinson, Michelle Stucki, William Walker and Bridger Wolfley.