Salem High Students Earn Northeast Music Festival Invitation

SALEM, MA — Eleven Salem High students are among those invited to audition for the Massachusetts Music Educators Association Senior Music All-State Festival at Boston's Symphony Hall this spring.

The students earned recommendation to audition in January for the All-State event set for March 23.

Senior trumpeter Will Napierkowski and sophomore pianist Lucas Fox earned the top scores in the Northeast District. Also earning All-State recommendation were seniors Casey Griffin (trumpet) and Emi Whitfield (flute); sophomore Will Towne (tuba); and freshmen Finn Hanger (trombone) and Frances Jones (choral singer).

Fox and Hanger were accepted to the MMEA Northeast Festival Jazz Band while Griffin, Whitfield, Mr. Towne and junior Dylan Beauregard (tuba) were tabbed to perform in the Concert Band.

Napierkoswki was accepted to perform with the Orchestra while Jones led four singers who will perform with the Chorus, including seniors Emma Bouldry and Austin Ryan and sophomore Em Clark.

"I'm proud of everyone who tried out even if they weren't selected," Band Director Cyndi Napierkowski said. "Everyone grows and improves through the process and auditioning is a skill. I'm excited to hear the concert in January as I have worn many hats for the MMEA Northeast District over the years including the chairperson, but this is the final time that I'm attending as a parent as well."

The Festival is slated for Jan. 6 (10 a.m. and 2 p.m.) at Lexington High School (Sunday, Jan. 7 in the event of a snow day).

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)