Musicians From Half Hollow Hills Selected For NYSSMA All-State Honors

The New York State Music Association has made its selection of students who will participate in the 2022 NYSSMA Conference All-State music groups, and the Half Hollow Hills Central School District is very proud to count eight of its students as All-State musicians chosen to take part in this year’s Winter Conference. An additional nine student musicians from the district were selected as alternates and may be chosen to fill any openings in the performances.

The students from Half Hollow Hills selected to participate are:

• Rishi Aravind, Double Bass, Symphony Orchestra, High School East
• Jasmine Foster, Jazz Alto Voice, Vocal Jazz, High School East
• Jacob Park, Violin, Symphony Orchestra, High School West
• Keyah Raje, Alto 1, Mixed Chorus, High School West
• Connor Schad, Bb Clarinet, Symphonic Band, High School West
• Elijah Shin, Bass I, Mixed Chorus, High School East
• Sean Tran, Tenor 2, Mixed Chorus, High School East
• Alice Wang, Viola, Symphony Orchestra, High School East

These students were chosen out of the over 6,500 students who auditioned for this honor at solo and ensemble festivals throughout New York State last spring. Approximately 900 musicians selected as All-State will be performing at the NYSSMA Winter Conference, which takes place December 1 through December 4, 2022, in Rochester, New York.

“We are very proud of these students and their musical accomplishments,’’ said Dr. Patrick Harrigan, Superintendent of Schools in Half Hollow Hills. “Being selected to perform at NYSSMA All-State, which is incredibly competitive, is a huge honor for these students and our district. We are thrilled that they have been chosen to represent our school, music department and community at NYSSMA.’’

The alternates from Half Hollow Hills are High School East’s Alexander Blitzer, Stephanie Foster, Zachariah Shin, Andrew Trinagel and Tyler Varlack, and High School West’s Viti Chandra, Alex Huang, Violet Lee and Devan McCarthy.

An education-oriented community with high academic expectations, the Half Hollow Hills Central School District is located in a residential area of 50,000 people in the central part of Long Island, approximately 40 miles from New York City. Providing for the education of approximately 7,500 students, the school district has five elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. Half Hollow Hills High Schools are fully accredited by the New York State Department of Education. The district is committed to providing all students with equitable opportunities to excel in academics, athletics and the arts.