Upper School Students Make Missouri All-State Band & Orchestra

Two Upper School students have been selected for the Missouri All-State Band and Missouri All-State Orchestra.

Rafael Gil Diaz ‘19 has been selected to play in the Missouri All-State Band. On December 1, over 1,400 students from across Missouri met at Hickman High School in Columbia to audition for the honor of participating in the top honor band in the state. Only 109 students are accepted into this elite ensemble. The band will meet, rehearse and perform at the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference at 3:30 p.m., January 26, 2019, in the Grand Salon of the Lake of the Ozark’s Tan-Tar-A Resort.

The 2018-2019 Missouri All-State Band will be performing the following:

  • “Give Us This Day” by David Maslanka
  • “Sanctus” by Ola Gjeilo, arr. Eric Wilson
  • “Magnolia Star” by Steve Danyew
  • “Benediction” by John Stevens
  • “Minstrels of the Kells” by Dan Welcher
  • “Tempered Steel” by Charles Rochester Young

In addition, Lucy Zhao ’20 has been selected to play in the Missouri All-State Orchestra. Lucy, the concertmaster of the new MICDS Upper School Strings Ensemble, traveled to Columbia, Missouri on December 1 to audition for a seat in the highly-selective All-State Orchestra. Over 100 of the best violinists from high schools across the state also auditioned. Later that day, Lucy was elated to find out that not only had she been accepted, but she was one of 16 violinists selected for the first violin section.

“Auditioning for All-State Orchestra was exciting because I got to travel all the way to Columbia,” said Lucy. “It was really competitive this year, as there were well over 100 violins competing from all parts of Missouri, so I’m honored to be a part of the orchestra and can’t wait to play.”

On January 23, 2019, Lucy will travel to Tan-Tar-A Resort for two full days of rehearsals in the All-State Orchestra in preparation for the concert on Saturday, January 26 at 12:00 p.m. at the Tan-Tar-A main lodge. The program will include the “Downey Overture” by Oscar Navarro, “America The Beautiful” arranged by Carmen Dragon, and the epic Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, “The Resurrection,” Movement I. Allegro maestoso by Gustav Mahler.

Congratulations to both Rafael and Lucy on this outstanding achievement!