Students Chosen to Perform in Prestigious Music Festivals

RIVERHEAD, NY — Riverhead High School musicians have been chosen to either attend, or serve as alternates, at the the 11th and 12th grade All Suffolk County Music Festival and the All State Music Festival in Rochester, NY.

Here's a list of those selected:

All-County and All-State Musicians

Band: Jason Rottkamp

NYSCAME All-County Band

Olivia Dickerson: Flute

Alex Montalbano: Clarinet

Sarah Bornstein: Tenor Saxophone

Daniel Jones: Trumpet

NYSCAME All-County Orchestra

Cesar Flores: Trombone

NYSSMA All-State Symphonic Band

Alex Montalbano: Clarinet

NYSSMA All State Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble Alternate

Cesar Flores: Trombone

Chorus

Dena Marie Tishim

NYSCAME Mixed Chorus

Lauren Anasky

Ella Baldwin

Skylar Wowak

NYSCAME Women's Chorus

Kathleen Gregory

Ashleigh Rubino

All-State Mixed Chorus

Ella Baldwin

All-State Women's Chorus

Kathleen Gregory

Orchestra

Marisa Macchio

NYSSMA All-State Alternate

Lauren Schaefer: violin

All-County and All-State Orchestra

David White: Double Bass

David White, 17, and a senior, has been studying bass since the summer of fourth grade and intends to keep doing so, eventually, pursuing a musical career.

"I wish a heartfelt thank you to Ms. Burns, Mrs. Crespo, Ms. Brewer, Mr. Rottkamp, Mrs. Tishim, and Ms. Macchio, the Riverhead music teachers who, whether in the classroom or in their ensembles, have influenced and motivated me to push forward with music," he wrote to his mentors.

Thousands of students auditioned for this honor last spring at solo and ensemble Festivals throughout New York State. In order to qualify to attend these festivals, students must have received a perfect, or nearly perfect, score on their solos at the NYSSMA, or New York State School Music Association, solo competition, school officials said in a release.

The festivals also serve as audition sites for the all-state bands, choruses and orchestras for students in grades 10 and 11 who elect, in advance, to perform their level VI solo for an All-State adjudicator, the release said.