Two Warwick Valley seniors selected to perform at All-Eastern music conference

Warwick - Warwick Valley High School seniors Peter Cody Fiduccia and Michelle Van Tieghem have been selected as two of the best high school musicians from Maryland to Maine. This past December, the National Association for Music Education’s selection committee invited them to participate as members of the 2007 Music Educators National Conference All-Eastern Honors Ensemble. Fiduccia will sing with the Mixed Choir and Van Tieghem will perform with the Symphonic Band. The band and orchestra will each have about 150 members and the mixed choir will have 350. The selection is based upon a percentage from each state according its share of the total MENC Eastern Divisions membership. States included are Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. “In the nearly 15 years I have been a vocal teacher at Warwick, this is my third student to have been selected for All-Eastern. I am proud of Peter’s accomplishments and I know he and Michelle will represent our district with panache,” said vocal director Lois Heller. Band director Chris Persad is as just as excited for Van Tieghem. “Michelle has been a pleasure to instruct. She is a positive role model for the younger musicians in our band. I know her talents will shine through during this festival.” Fiduccia will perform as a baritone member in the All-Eastern Mixed Choir. Currently the high school’s choral group’s president and president of the drama club, he has been singing for six years and playing the piano for 13 years. He will fill the lead role of Frank Butler in the high school’s spring musical “Annie, Get Your Gun” and plans to study music and or business in college next year. Van Tieghem, who will be a member of the All-Eastern Symphonic Band, has played clarinet for seven years. She studies clarinet privately with David Dworkin, as well as piano with David Crone. She is a member of the high school Wind Ensemble and has played tenor saxophone and piano in the Jazz Band. She has also played in the Pit Orchestra for the high school musical productions, and has previously been a member of the OCCC Orchestra. The 2007 All-Eastern Honors Ensembles will rehearse March 8-11, in Hartford, Connecticut, with the performances for Band, Orchestra, Mixed Choir and Jazz Ensemble scheduled on Sunday, March 11, at the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts.