Two North Penn Students Named To 2016 All-National Honor Ensemble

LANSDALE, PA – The North Penn School District announced that students Lia Franco and Katja Pennypacker have been selected as members of the 2016 All-National Honor Mixed Choir Ensemble.

The pair will perform at the 2016 National Association for Music Education National In-Service Conference November 10 through 13 in Grapevine, Texas, the district said.

The 2016 All-National Honor Ensemble is a prestigious group and program of the NAfME. Earning a seat in this ensemble has been quite a journey for junior Lia Franco and senior Katja Pennypacker, both of whom are in the NPHS Chorus, Chambers Singers and Women’s Choir in the soprano II section, according to school spokespersons.

Lia and Katja competed first at the district level and then advanced to states during the 2015-2016 school year, making them eligible to audition for the 2016 All-National Honor Mixed Choir Ensemble, North Penn said.

Following a long year of hard work and dedication, Lia and Katja sent in separate recorded audition pieces and were selected this past summer as members of the NAfME 2016 All-National Mixed Choir Honor Ensemble. Lia Franco and Katja Pennypacker will perform in the esteemed group of 353 students on Sunday, November 13, according to a press release.

According to the NAfME, The All-National Honor Ensemble “represent[s] the top performing high school musicians in the United States. [It is] so much more than a musical ensemble; it is a comprehensive, musical and educational experience.”

Lia and Katje will travel to Grapevine, Texas with NPSD Choral Instructor, Matthew Klenk, for the NAfME National In-Service Conference from November 10 through 18. This conference will not only serve as a unique learning opportunity for Lia and Katja, but for Mr. Klenk as well, the school said.

According to the NAfME, “Teachers and school administrators who attend will gain insight on implementing the National Core Music Standards in the classroom to empower students to be creative, collaborative, think critically, and better understand themselves and fellow students, and the world around them. Music teachers will learn how they can give students the inspiration they need to learn and create in different ways.”

Image courtesy North Penn School District.