All-State Orchestra Nominees Named

Stratford High Orchestra violinists Isabella Bengochea, on left, a senior, and Catherine Wu, a freshman

Two Stratford High Orchestra violinists have been selected for the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State Orchestra, the highest honor awarded across Texas for excellence in music.

Chosen for the TMEA All-State Orchestra are Isabella Bengochea, a senior, and Catherine Wu, a freshman.

All-State Orchestra is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive. Every year, more than 1,500 high school students are selected by TMEA for performing ensembles in band, orchestra and choir through highly competitive auditions.

A series of auditions winnow down tens of thousands of students to the “best” in state. Small groups of judges begin the individual ranking system.

At this time, All-State winners in band and choir have not yet been announced.

Bengochea and Wu will travel to San Antonio in February to rehearse and then perform with highly rated students like them at the TMEA convention. Students rehearse with a nationally recognized conductor and then perform at convention.

Orchestra students from only two high schools in TMEA’s Region 27 have been named All-State nominees for the 2016-17 school year, according to a local music official.

Michael Fahey is the orchestra director at Stratford High School.