Colorado State University-Pueblo hosts Southern Colorado Honor Orchestra and Choir
PUEBLO – A total of 150 Southern Colorado high school musicians selected by high school music teachers from 22 high schools and the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony will visit the Colorado State University-Pueblo campus for two and one half days of instruction by University faculty and guest clinicians as members of the fifth Annual Southern Colorado Honor Choir and Orchestra. Rehearsals for their performances will culminate in a concert at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 20 in CSU-Pueblo’s Hoag Recital Hall.
Instruction was provided by CSU-Pueblo faculty Dr. Dana Ihm, assistant professor of music; and Veronika String Quartet members Veronika Afanassieva, Ekaterina Dobrotvorskaia, Karine Garibova, and Mary Artmann. Guest conductors will be Dr. William Kesling and Gary Nicholson.
The program for the Nov. 20 concert includes:
CHOIR: Guest Conductor – Dr. William Kesling
Oye……………………………………………………….J. Papoulis
Ring Merry Bells………………………………….…arr. J. Leavitt
Jubilate Deo……………………………………….….W.A. Mozart
Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves………………………..…..G. Verdi
ORCHESTRA: Guest Conductor – Gary Nicholson
Prelude from Aus Holbergs Zeit………………………...E. Grieg
Melodia En La Menor, Canto de Octubre……….…A. Piazzolla
Simple Symphony………………………………………...B. Britten
COMBINED PROGRAM: Guest Conductor – Gary Nicholson
Kyrie……………………………………………………...R. Clausen
Happy We, Chorus from “Acis and Galatea”……G. F. Handel
Members of the Honor Choir and Orchestra and their respective schools, instruments, or vocal ranges are as follows:
NAME SCHOOL
Emily Bosisio Violin Cañon City High School
Aleksa Kuzma Viola Coronado High School
Nathaniel Lohmann Cello Coronado High School
James Till Violin Coronado High School
Michelle Wood Violin Coronado High School
Jennifer Bushnell Viola Doherty High School
Bridgid Rankin Violin Doherty High School
Sebastian Chandler Bass Ellicott High School
Ashton Kirscher Soprano Ellicott High School
Emily McCaffery Soprano Ellicott High School
Patrick Mitchell Tenor Ellicott High School
Angela Moser Alto Ellicott High School
Lauren Pickett Alto Ellicott High School
Mackenzie VanEsselstine Alto Ellicott High School
Alexis Becker Evangelical Christian Academy
Jiyoon Ryu Evangelical Christian Academy
Matthew Skinner Tenor Evangelical Christian Academy
Jessy Stuebs Baritone Evangelical Christian Academy
Brianan Burke Alto Florence High School
Erin Espinoza Alto Florence High School
Kyle Hart Tenor Florence High School
Chasta Killen Soprano Florence High School
Jessica Pigeon Florence High School
Delaney Steele Soprano Florence High School
Arie Thompson Baritone Florence High School
Janika Grimlund Soprano Fowler School District
Jenna Hardy Soprano Fowler School District
Bethany Klinkerman Alto Fowler School District
Joshua Heaston Cello Home School
Ashton Smith Violin Home School
Emma Thomas Cello Home School
James Irwin Charter Schools
Reggie Hyppolite James Irwin Charter Schools
Stephen Medlock James Irwin Charter Schools
James Petroni James Irwin Charter Schools
Athena Savali James Irwin Charter Schools
Ashley Wetzel James Irwin Charter Schools
Nicholas Martinez Bass J.K. Mullen High School
Kendall McKay Alto J.K. Mullen High School
Meghan Miller Soprano J.K. Mullen High School
Erin Riccio Soprano J.K. Mullen High School
Aimee Vunovich Alto J.K. Mullen High School
Alexander Whitaker Tenor J.K. Mullen High School
Ben Bontrager Bass Limon High School
Keturah Tatum Soprano Limon High School
Fay Thariya Alto Limon High School
Daniel Cowan Bass Mesa Ridge High School
Sara Dasugo Violin Mesa Ridge High School
Aisha Glenn-Bracey Viola Mesa Ridge High School
Cydney Goheen Alto Mesa Ridge High School
Danielle Gramm Mesa Ridge High School
Tyler Hobbs Baritone Mesa Ridge High School
Chelsea Jackson Alto Mesa Ridge High School
Christy Jersin Violin Mesa Ridge High School
Amanda Jones Alto Mesa Ridge High School
Jazz Jones Violin Mesa Ridge High School
Melissa Mestas Soprano Mesa Ridge High School
Tiffany Phair Soprano Mesa Ridge High School
Kassandra Prust Violin Mesa Ridge High School
Jarom Ruby Violin Mesa Ridge High School
Marissa Rudd Soprano Mesa Ridge High School
Madison Shuman Alto Mesa Ridge High School
Jeremy Sito Tenor Mesa Ridge High School
Chris Sweet Bass Mesa Ridge High School
Joshua Waugh Bass Mesa Ridge High School
Thomas Westland Cello Mesa Ridge High School
Katherine Haworth Viola Palmer Ridge High School
Dane Anderson Bass Pueblo Centennial High School
Brooke Apodaca Soprano Pueblo Centennial High School
Antonio Faloona Baritone Pueblo Centennial High School
Chaeli Ferguson Violin Pueblo Centennial High School
Bailey Ford Alto Pueblo Centennial High School
Hannah Galloway Violin Pueblo Centennial High School
Teagan Gomez Tenor Pueblo Centennial High School
Jennifer Jackson Soprano Pueblo Centennial High School
Trevor McKinney Tenor Pueblo Centennial High School
Desirae Mendez Violin Pueblo Centennial High School
Allison Miller Viola Pueblo Centennial High School
Kristen Miller Viola Pueblo Centennial High School
Ashley Montez Violin Pueblo Centennial
Jaclyn Rising Cello Pueblo Centennial High School
Tiffany Romero Alto Pueblo Centennial High School
Dex DeVargas Bass Pueblo East High School
Maxine DiMarca Alto Pueblo East High School
Zac Gonzales Bass Pueblo East High School
David Laydon Tenor Pueblo East High School
John Laydon Bass Pueblo East High School
Daryion Morgan Bass Pueblo East High School
Hannah Morris Soprano Pueblo East High School
Margaret Olivarins Alto Pueblo East High School
Alexandra Richardson Soprano Pueblo East High School
Anthony Rubio Tenor Pueblo East High School
Dallas Simons Tenor Pueblo East High School
Pat Smith Tenor Pueblo East High School
Sara Balakrishnan Alto Pueblo South High School
Joshua Bitz Tenor Pueblo South High School
Greg Burch Tenor Pueblo South High School
Christina Colalancia Violin Pueblo South High School
Meghan Combs Cello Pueblo South High School
John-David Duran Double Bass Pueblo South High School
Rebecca Higgs Soprano Pueblo South High School
Shelby Hockett Soprano Pueblo South High School
Natasia Martinez Violin Pueblo South High School
Ashley Minnich Alto Pueblo South High School
Stephan Palangi Bass Pueblo South High School
Steven Rael-Flores Viola Pueblo South High School
Ben Roth Violin Pueblo South High School
David Sais Double Bass Pueblo South High School
Jessie Salas Cello Pueblo South High School
Elizabeth Scuggins Soprano Pueblo South High School
Austyn Simpson Bass Pueblo South High School
Joshua Smith Bass Pueblo South High School
Sean Staples Viola Pueblo South High School
Kaitlyn Cook Soprano Pueblo West High School
Steven Gonzales Baritone Pueblo West High School
Leah Kellner Pueblo West High School
Carysa McCown Alto Pueblo West High School
Kevin Miller Tenor Pueblo West High School
Thomas Sloan Tenor Pueblo West High School
Megan Bauer Soprano Rocky Ford Junior Senior High School
Cody Dell Bass Rocky Ford Junior Senior High School
Genoveva Guerrero Alto Rocky Ford Junior Senior High School
Catalina Hernandez Alto Rocky Ford Junior Senior High School
Janell Lorenzo Soprano Rocky Ford Junior Senior High School
Isaiah Nieto Tenor Rocky Ford Junior Senior High School
Sasha Buettner Viola Rampart High School
Tonya Buettner Violin Rampart High School
Samantha Hunt Violin Rangeview High School
Lauren Ballew Violin Rocky Mountain Classical Academy
Josiah Akers Violin Shekinah Academy
Kendra Akers Violin Shekinah Academy
TJ Westland Cello Widefield High School
Valerie Westland Violin Widefield High School
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS:
Will Kesling, Ph.D. is a veteran artist having conducted more than 200 professional and amateur choral ensembles and some 41 professional symphony orchestras in 23 countries. His talents for weaving together words and music, chorus and orchestra have garnered him international respect. A Washington Post concert review sums his abilities in two words, “clear professionalism.” A New York Daily News reviewer calls “Will Kesling’s conducting truly inspired and impeccably paced.” Kesling has conducted a number of engagements in Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as well as in major concert halls on five continents. He has recorded five commercially produced CDs and conducted two feature film scores. Kesling is in his ninth year as Director of Choral Activities at the University of Florida after serving 19 years as Director of Choral and Orchestral Activities at Utah State University, where his choirs received national and international attention and have frequently performed for the American Choral Directors Association at both national and divisional conventions. His choirs were featured on the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Paralympics on NBC. In recognition of these achievements Dr. Kesling was awarded The Congressional Order of Merit Congressional in September 2003 and the Medal of Distinction in November 2004 by the Congress of the United States of America. In March 2006, he was awarded his highest honor, the Ronald Reagan Gold Medal, for his contributions to the cultural life of the citizenry.
Gary Nicholson co-founded the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association in 1980 and serves as the Youth Symphony Orchestra conductor. As a trumpeter, Nicholson has performed with the Aspen Music Festival, Wichita Symphony, Colorado Opera Festival, Colorado College Conservatory of Music, Colorado Springs Chorale, Music Theater of the Rockies, Fine Arts Center Repertory Teacher, Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra, and was a founding member of the Colorado Springs Symphony Brass Quintet and Pikes Peak Brass Quintet. He also has performed with Abendmusik, a professional quality vocal chamber ensemble. He also has toured orchestras to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Eastern Europe. Nicholson currently teaches music at Broadmoor Elementary School in Colorado Springs District 12 and performs with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.