All-State UIL Band, Choir and Orchestra Students Announced

Ten highly talented Spring Branch ISD high school students have earned the highest honor possible in their area of musical study. These students have been named Texas All-State winners in orchestra, band, and choir.

About 1,500 students from across Texas were named All-State winners recently after an orderly, planned testing process that began with tens of thousands of students from across the state competing to be named to one of 13 separate performance music ensembles. Individual student musicians begin the All-State selection process by learning and performing music selections for a panel of judges.

Through the ranking process, a select group of musicians and singers advance from their local region to competitions that qualify to perform in Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State music groups.

This year, four Memorial High Orchestra students were named All-State.

Sophomore violinist Catherine Cai qualified for a second year in a row. Last year, she played viola. Memorial High Orchestra students named All-State are:

• Catherine Cai, 10th grade, violin
• Tiffany Hu, 11th grade, cello
• Irene Oh, 11th grade, cello
• Jonnathan Sullins, 12th grade, piano

Memorial High Orchestra directors are Bingiee Shiu and Danielle Prontka. Three separate Band students from Memorial, Stratford and Spring Woods high schools qualified for All-State honors.

Senior Victor Rangel-Comacho of Spring Woods High, has been named to All-State Band for a third year.

Band students honored include:

• John Pruitt, 12th grade, trumpet, Memorial High
• Joon Lee, 11th grade, clarinet, Stratford High
• Victor Rangel-Comacho, 12th grade, bass clarinet,

Band directors include David Kastor of Memorial High; Monty Morris-Brame of Spring Woods High; and Richard Graham of Stratford High.

Two SBISD soprano students were also named All-State Choir members. They are:

• Georgia Bates, 12th grade, soprano, Memorial High
• Eliza Masewicz, 10th grade, soprano, Stratford High

Choir directors are Lawrence Johnson of Memorial High and Peter Steinmetz of Stratford High.