HS Musicians Shine at State Solo and Small Group Ensemble Music Festival

Shine a light on issues that matter—support local news with your gift today. INDEPENDENCE, Iowa — The Decorah High School Music Department participated in the Iowa High School Music Association State Solo and Small Ensemble Music Festival on Saturday, March 29, at Independence High School. Other participating schools included Anamosa, Benton Community, Center Point-Urbana, Independence, Vinton-Shellsburg, Dubuque Wahlert, Waukon, West Delaware and Cedar Rapids Xavier. This adjudicated festival awards students one of five division ratings based on a point scale: Division I, superior; Division II, excellent; Division III, good; Division IV, fair; and Division V, poor. It was a successful day for the Decorah music department. Each judge may present one Outstanding Performance award to the most exceptional performance of the festival. Of the nine judges in the vocal, orchestra and band categories, six awarded this honor to Decorah musicians. Outstanding Performance award recipients: Grant Zilka – Baritone saxophone solo Natalie Goodner – Vibraphone solo Gwen Thompson – Vocal solo Mikayla Hiner and Gwen Thompson – Vocal duet Junior Treble Clef Ensemble Concert Choir Chamber Singers Additionally, the following students received perfect scores for their performances: Grant Zilka – Baritone saxophone solo Aitor Cuevas – Trumpet solo Gwen Thompson – Vocal solo Kealy Hines – Vocal solo Mikayla Hiner and Gwen Thompson – Vocal duet Senior Treble Clef Ensemble 9 Students were accompanied on piano by Dean Beckman, Mike Ellingsen, Chris Hadley, Lani Himegarner, Xiao Hu, Miko Kominami, Linda Martin, Jessica Paul, David Severtson and Nicholas Shaneyfelt. Division I – Superior RatingsSolos Marimba: Natalie Goodner, Kealy Hines, Olivia Rissman, Grace Stockman, Jerald Thompson Vibraphone: Natalie Goodner Soprano saxophone: Grant Zilka Alto saxophone: Grant Zilka Tenor saxophone: Grant Zilka Baritone saxophone: Grant Zilka Flute: Jay Hawthorn, Mikayla Hiner, Olivia Volkmann Piccolo: Jay Hawthorn, Sophia McGee Trumpet: Aitor Cuevas Oboe: Ansel Kowitz Violin: Spencer Christensen, Liam Huang, Naomi Kutz, Lauren Severtson, Gwenyth Thompson Cello: Lulu Bellrichard, Andie Gegax String bass: Nina Sessions, Ezra Vorvick Soprano: June Breitenbach-Dirks, Mikayla Hiner, Kealy Hines, Greta Jones, Gwen Thompson, Jillian Volz, Margret Zook Alto: Emma Cline, Amelia Wadsworth Tenor: Spencer Christensen, Lawrence Christman, Andy Kruger, Jameson LaBelle Bass: Oliver Brummel, Davis Coppola, Derek Hrdlicka, Noah Potvin, Jack Sovern, Davis Walter, Ezra Vorvick EnsemblesFlute Choir, Millennium Percussion Choir, Saxophone Quartet (Zilka, E. Christman, Breitenbach-Dirks, D. Walter), Percussion Quintet (Hines, Chamberlain, Rissman, Stockman, N. Goodner), French Horn Duets (Sandhorst & Wadsworth), Flute Duet (Hawthorn & Volkmann), String Duets (Severtson & Kutz, Davis & Brown, Sessions & Vorvick, L. Bellrichard & Sessions), Violin Quartet (Weis, Opheim, P. Bellrichard & C. Ko), Cello Quartet (L. Bellrichard, Cline, Harmening & Hahn), String Ensemble (Huang, Christensen, C. Riley, Franzen, Kuennen & Vorvick), Royal Chamber Orchestra, Elegie Chamber Orchestra, Vocal Duets (M. Hiner & G. Thompson, Brummel & Kruger, G. & C. Thompson), Madrigal Singers, CC Chamber Singers, VC Chamber Choir, Ninth Grade Bass Clef (L. Nalean-Carlson, Peterson, Sabelka, Ewing, M. Goodner, Hrdlicka, Burkholder, D. Walter, Wilkins), Ninth Grade Treble Clef (Evelsizer, Carlson, Dowden, Cord, C. Ko, McGee, C. LaBelle, R. Newhouse, K. Johnson), Sophomore Treble Clef (Lundtvedt, Severtson, Volz, Volkmann, Searcy, Stockman, Timm, Cline, A. Hanson, Rissman), Junior Treble Clef (Breitenbach-Dirks, Hiner, E. Christman, Klara Kelly, Albert, Lesmeister, Wemark), Junior Bass Clef (Malanaphy, J. LaBelle, Duder, Mercado-Arneson, Milburn, Nalean-Carlson, Harman-Wood, C. Johnson, Sassaman), Senior Treble Clef 6 (E. Downing, Suhr, Bakken, Wicklund, C. Holland, Brodbeck), Senior Treble Clef 9 (C. Sheffield, G. Thompson, Zook, Jones, Hines, E. Johnson, Blikre, Steines, Wadsworth), Senior Bass Clef (Kruger, B. Newhouse, Hammel, Brummel, D. Coppola, Chamberlain, Krieg, Vorvick, Sovern), Vocal Trio (Hiner, G. Thompson, C. Thompson), and Vocal Quartet (Kruger, Brummel, Chamberlain, Vorvick). Division II – Excellent RatingsSolos Saxophone: Mary Brown Flute: Amelia Pankow Horn: Lily Sandhorst, Jillian Volz Flute: Sophia McGee Bassoon: Noah Potvin Timpani: Jackson Irwin Trumpet: Max Goodner, Nils Peterson Trombone: Evan Madsen Piano: Olivia Volkmann Violin: Elsa Johnson, Jayden Lundtvedt, Haylee Stravers, Rachel Weis Viola: Thatcher Brown, Madysen Lippe Cello: Grace Blikre, Emma Cline Soprano: Regine Hougen, Jayden Lundtvedt, Vivian Searcy, Grace Stockman Alto: Ariana Albert, Grace Blikre, Kaya Johnson, Olivia Rissman Tenor: Beau Newhouse Bass: Liam Chamberlain, William Duder, Ezra Harman-Wood, Caleb Johnson, Tyler Shaw, Colin Thompson EnsemblesDrum Check Percussion Choir, Brass Choir, Saxophone Choir, Woodwind Choir, Trumpet Trio (Cuevas, Peterson & Goodner), Flute/Clarinet Duet (Newhouse & Volkmann), Brass Quintet (Cuevas, Peterson, Sandhorst, Madsen, Brummel), Trombone Trio (Searcy, C. Thompson, Madsen), Marimba Quartet (Hines, Rissman, Stockman, Goodner), Trumpet Duet (Cuevas & Peterson), Vocal Duets (Rissman & Volz, Searcy & Cline), Ninth Grade Chamber Choir, CC Chamber Choir, Sophomore Bass Clef (Christensen, Irwin, Nimrod, L. Christman, Courtney, Oftedahl, Potvin, Shaw, Berland, Madsen, C. Riley, C. Thompson) Stay ahead of the curve! Subscribe to free newsletters for exclusive insights, local trends and analysis delivered straight to your inbox.