Portraits of performing artists as students

Central Valley - Nine musicians and singers from Monroe-Woodbury High School qualified for the New York State School Music Association’s 2005 All-State Music Festival, now taking place in Rochester through this Sunday, Dec. 4. While not all the students could attend the festival because of prior commitments, being named All-State is a measure of talent and persistence. Here are brief portraits of each performing artist: • Nick Halzack, a senior, has been selected as a tuba player for All-State. He auditioned with Vivaldi’s Sonata in A Minor. In addition, Nick plays baritone, trombone, and piano. He has been selected for All-County and Area All-State for the past four years. He also is a member of the Monroe-Woodbury Pep Band and Chamber Winds Ensemble. Nick takes private lessons with Ken Pick. He participates annually in the pit orchestra, playing either tuba or trombone. Nick plans on becoming a biology major in college, but will continue his musical studies. • Lucie Jaronowski, a senior, has been selected as a violinist for All-State String Orchestra. She auditioned with Haydn’s Concerto No. 1 in C Major. She is in the Chamber Orchestra at Monroe-Woodbury and has participated in Area All-State annually for the past four years. She has played in many pit orchestras, the most recent being Souza’s production of “Seussical.” This past spring, she won the OCCC Concerto Competition and was a soloist with the school’s orchestra. She studies violin with Theresa Gao. She also enjoys singing and looks forward to joining an a-capella group in college. Lucie plans to double major in political science and violin performance and hopes to one day perform in a professional orchestra. • Madeline Hubert, a junior, has been selected as a cellist for All-State. For her audition, she played the first movement of Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D Minor. Madeline is a member of the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hudson Valley Youth Symphony and the Allegro Chamber Orchestra. For the past two summers, she participated in the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra. After high school, Madeline plans on attending a conservatory, majoring in cello performance while continuing her piano studies. One day, she hopes to perform in a professional orchestra and teach at a college or graduate level. • Meg Kling, a senior, has been selected both as a flutist and as a soprano for All-State. She has decided to attend the festival for flute and will be the first chair in the Symphony Orchestra. For her flute audition, she played Borne’s Carmen Fantasy. Last year, All-State considered her as an alternate for flute. Meg attends the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division and plays in the top orchestra. At Monroe-Woodbury, she is in the Voice Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, and Chamber Winds. Meg will go to college for flute and voice performance. Meg studies flute with Harold Jones at the Manhattan School of Music and studies voice with Barbara Welch. She hopes to become a soloist on flute and to star in an opera. • Sara Johnson, a senior, has been selected as a bassist for All-State. For her audition, she played Vivaldi’s Sonata No. 3 in A Minor. She is in the Chamber Orchestra at Monroe-Woodbury and is the principle bassist for the Bergen Youth Orchestra. Sara has participated in the Area All-State Orchestra for the past four years, and was section leader this year. She takes private lessons with John Feeney. Also a vocalist, Sara sings soprano in her high school’s Voice Ensemble and was selected for All-County Chorus. Sara participates in theatrical productions and has been in 11 shows, most recently Monroe-Woodbury High School’s production of “Our Town.” She plans on being a performance major in college, studying voice and bass. • Marli Sussman, a senior, has been selected as a soprano for All-State. Her audition piece was Pergolesi’s “Se tu M’ami, Se Sospiri.” Marli studies voice privately with Barbara Welch. She also plays flute and participates in school and community musical theater, and was most recently seen in Souza’s production of “Seussical.” Marli participated in the 2005 Area All-State Women’s Chorus and several high school ensembles. Marli is also the Wind Ensemble Secretary, the Voice Ensemble Public Relations Manager, and the Drama Club Secretary. She plans on continuing her musical studies throughout college. • Kayla Wickes, a junior, was selected as a second soprano for All-State and will be participating in the Women’s Choir. She auditioned with the French piece “Apres Une Reue.” Kayla just finished portraying the role of Mary Magdalene in “Jesus Christ Superstar” for the Westchester Broadway Theater Youth Artist Productions. She was recently featured as multiple characters in the Off-Broadway cabaret of “Broadway’s Good n’ Evil” for NSB productions. Kayla studies as a theater arts major and hopes to continue her ambitions with theater as a profession. • Sarah Tusch, a senior, has been selected as a violinist for All-State. She studies with Emily Faxon. She auditioned with Wieniawski’s Concerto No. 2, Op. 22. Sarah is a member of the Hudson Valley Youth Symphony, and the Allegro Chamber Orchestra. During the summer, she has participated in the NYSSSA School of Orchestral Studies, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and most recently the Music Horizons Summer Program through the Eastman School of Music. Sarah participated in All-State last year and was also selected to be a part of the 2005 All-Eastern Honors Orchestra. This upcoming spring, she will be a guest soloist with the Hudson Valley Youth Symphony as winner of the College Youth Symphony Concerto Competition. She plans to be a music performance major in college. • Brianne Lugo, a senior, has been selected as a violist for All-State. For her audition, she played Stamitz’s Concerto in D Major. She is a member of the Manhattan School of Music Prepatory Division Philharmonic Orchestra, the Allegro Chamber Orchestra, and her high school’s Chamber Orchestra. She attended All-State last year and attended NYSSSA School of Orchestral Studies this past summer. Brianne has also been a member of the Bergen Youth Orchestra. She studies with Jonathan Strasser at the Manhattan School of Music. Brianne plans on being either a viola performance or music education major in college and hopes to attend Carnegie-Mellon University. Lucie Jaronowski, one of the All-State musicians, reported and wrote this article.