Musicians Earn Top Honors at State Solo and Ensemble Festival

University School of Milwaukee Middle School and Upper School musicians recently participated in the Wisconsin School Music Association’s State Solo and Ensemble Festival, held on Saturday, April 25. Students earned medals for their Class A music performances. 

In order to qualify for the state level, students had to earn a “starred first” rating in Class A, which consists of the most difficult music, at the district level. “These students spent hours upon hours practicing their difficult music selections to represent USM at this level,” said Andi Franklin, Middle School and Upper School choir teacher. “We are so proud of them.”

Congratulations to the medalists:

Gold Medal Recipients (Received a 1 Rating):

Brooklyn Becker ’30: Violin Solo
Sloan Becker ’28: Violin Solo
Sloan ’28 and Brooklyn ’30 Becker: Violin Duet
Chloe Chen ’27: Violin Solo
Chloe Chen ’27: Violin Duet
Benji De Torre ’28: Violin Solo
Emery Domer ’28: Music Theater Solo
PJ Heiny ’28: Music Theater Solo
Ayan Iyengar ’29: Flute solo
Summer Klingbail ’28: Music Theater Solo
Zoë Manning ’26: Vocal Solo
Eli Mondano ’31: Baritone Solo, Music Theater Solo, and Piano Solo
Ainsley Polston ’28: Soprano Solo and Music Theater Solo
Maia Scherman ’27: Alto Solo and Music Theater Solo
Nathan Silber ’28: Piano Solo 
Raymond Yang ’27: Piano Solo and Violin Solo
David Zarate ’29: Violin Solo

Silver Medal Recipients (Received a 2 Rating):

Elina Cheng ’27: Violin Solo
Emery Domer ’29: Alto Solo
Lucas Getter ’31: Cello Solo
Alex Grassl ’31: Alto Solo
PJ Heiny ’28: Baritone Solo
Sophie Irwin ’27: Soprano Solo
Lesley Jimenez ’26: Violin Solo
Eleanor Kastrup ’29: Violin Solo
David Zarate ’29/Yousef Gardezi ’28: Violin Duet

Exemplary award winners:

Brooklyn Becker ’29 and Raymond Yang ’27: (Piano) 
Eli Mondano ’31: (Baritone Solo)

Exemplary award nominees:

Sloan Becker ’28
Chloe Chen ’27