SJP Musicians Honored at Winter conference Posted on February 22, 2025 in Activities, Affordability, Press Releases, Student NewsTagged band, choir, music, orchestra MN Music Educators Association Mid-Winter Conference We had several students take part in various state honors groups over the weekend as a part of the annual MMEA (MN Music Educators Association Mid-Winter Conference in Minneapolis. Emmaline Bushman ’29, Ben Zahasky ’28, and Theo Reisinger ’29 participated in the MNSOTA 7-9th Grade Honors Orchestra MN String and Orchestra Teachers Association, with Ben given the special honor of having participated all three years! After an all-day rehearsal at Northwestern on Friday, they performed under the direction of Angelique Rowell Eden Prairie High School on Saturday morning in the Main Auditorium of the Minneapolis Convention Center with over 70 other students from around the state. They were chosen from hundreds of auditions this past Fall, and we are very proud to have had such a great representation of SJP! Hendrick Schlude ’27 performed with the ACDA 9-10th grade SATB Honor Choir American Choral Directors Association. After an all-day rehearsal at the Hilton Hotel, the performance was on Saturday Evening with over 80 other students not including the 160 others in the SSAA and TTB choirs! in Ballroom A of the Minneapolis Convention Center. With over 900 people in attendance, the choir sang out under the very energetic and inspiring direction of Jasmine Fripp from Nashville, TN. Hendrick was chosen among over 1,000 submitted auditions. It was a moving and tremendous performance! Andrew Zahasky ’26 participated in the MMEA All-State Orchestra, the top honors orchestra in the state, on Saturday afternoon with a stunning performance in iconic Orchestra Hall under the incredible direction of Dr. LaSaundra Belcher from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Belcher is also Chair-Elect for NAfME’s National Association for Music Educators Council for Orchestra Education. Over 120 students from all over Minnesota participated in this astounding performance of very advanced literature creating a sound of epic proportions! Peter Kraft ’26 performed with the MMEA All-State Concert Band, one of two top honors bands in the state, on Saturday afternoon at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis, under the direction of Dr. Heidi Johanna Miller of Gustavus Adolphus College. Peter plays the alto saxophone. Consisting of just under 100 of the top high school musicians in the state, Peter and the band gave an impressive and inspiring performance of highly advanced music that truly left the rafters ringing! Congratulations to all our SJP students who honored SJP by representing and sharing the stage with the best musicians in the state. What an incredible weekend of music making!
