Four Lemont Students Cited With 2023 ILMEA All-State Honors

LEMONT, IL — Four Lemont High School students participated at the 2023 Illinois Music Education Conference, which was held last month in Peoria, according to a release from the school. The conference is hosted by the Illinois Music Education Association, and attracts the top performers from across the state, and includes guest conductors, seminars, and a number of concert performances.

Students this year made school history, as only four students had ever been named to all-state performing ensembles more than once in their careers, and the school’s music program never had repeat honorees in the same year. Lemont nearly doubled its number of repeat all-state performers, as three students were recognized for the second straight year, the school said.

Senior Toni Sarussi (Bb clarinet) was chosen as part of the Honors Band for the second straight year, while juniors Destina Sarussi (flute) and Nora Zhou (violin) both were named to the Honors Orchestra for the second straight year, the school said. One year after participating in the Future Music Educators Seminar, senior Alyssa Greer (trombone) was cited to All-State Jazz Band.

Toni and Destina Sarussi are the only siblings in school history to have been named to all-state performing ensembles in the same year, the school said.

About 1,500 students were selected to participate in the ILMEA’s 2023 All-State Student Programs, according to the school. Students who were part of all-state performing ensembles capped their experience by performing in concerts that were led by distinguished conductors and educators from across the country.