Richfield High School Band, Choir Students Named All-State Musicians

(RHS) students , Nayib Vogel, Siesse Jordan, and Lee Mai were all recently named all-state musicians for the 2011-12 school year.

In addition, Noah Sutton was selected as an All-State Jazz Ensemble alternate and Olivia Volkman-Johnson as selected as alternate for two choirs.

About 2,000 students audition each year for all-state ensembles, with about 500 being accepted, RHS Assistant Principal Eric Paulson said in an e-mail.

Hamilton, a high school junior and trombone player, will represent Richfield as a member of the All-State Symphonic Band.

The All-State Symphonic Band will be directed by Dr. Frank Wickes, a recently retired director of bands at Louisiana State University (LSU). The band rehearsals are Aug. 1-6 at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN with the symphonic and jazz ensemble concerts beginning at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 6.

As for those RHS choir members who were selected, Vogel (bass) and Jordan (bass) will sing with the All-State Men's Choir, while Mai (tenor) will be part of the All-State Mixed Choir. Volkman-Johnson (soprano) is an alternate for the mixed choir and the All-State Women's Choir.

The men's choir will be directed by Axel Theimer of Saint John's University and College of St. Benedict, and the mixed choir by Geoffrey Boers of the University of Washington School of Music.

Choir rehearsals are Aug. 1-6 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. The concert is at at the college at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 6.

All groups will rehearse in Minneapolis Feb. 16-18, 2012 and perform at the Minnesota Music Educators Convention.