Nineteen students at Mount Vernon High School have attained the highest individual honor available to Iowa high school musicians by being selected as members of the 2024 Iowa Band, Chorus and Orchestra.
Sophomore Jonathan Winkler, son of Isaac and Joelynn Winkler was selected for the band on tenor saxophone. This is Jonathan’s first audition and selection into the All-State Band.
Senior chorus members include: Cyrus Johnson (bass) son of Matt and Devyn Johnson; Jaks Lee (bass) son of Jason and Tanya Lee; Skye Rodman (tenor) daughter of Chris Rodman; and Penelope Vig (tenor) daughter of Darin and Charlene Vig. This is the first selection for Cyrus Johnson, and the second selection for Jaks Lee, Skye Rodman, and Penelope Vig. Junior Isabel Govea (alto) daughter of Antonio and Elizabeth Govea was selected for a third time.
Juniors receiving their second selection include: Michael Covington (bass) son of Blake and Sarah Covington; Claire Jensen (soprano) daughter of James and Jessica Jensen; and Lewis Krob (tenor) son of Mark and Erin Krob. Juniors Grace Bausch (alto) daughter of Alan and Vicki Bausch; Edith Dawson (alto) daughter of William and Erica Dawson; Emma Hoffman (soprano) daughter of Loren and Jennifer Hoffman; Hannah Jones (soprano) daughter of Justin and Alason Jones; and Charlie Weldon (bass) son of Mark Weldon and Kim Benesh each received their first selection.
Sophomores selected for the chorus, each for the first time, include: Nora Dye daughter of Ian and Shauna Dye; Chester Rood (tenor) son of Anton and Braden Rood; and Reagan Slaymaker (alto) daughter of Brock and Maggie Slaymaker. Additionally, senior Gabriel Mahoney (bass) son of Matt and Shawna Mahoney was selected as an alternate.
The orchestra had two selections, both on string bass. Junior Carrington Bybee, daughter of Jeff and Barbara Bybee was selected for the first time, while sophomore Jackson Voight, son of Nathan and Meredith Voight, was selected for the second time.
Scott Weber (band), Thad Wilkins (choir), and Tabitha Rasmussen (orchestra) are the directors of the Mount Vernon high school music program. The sixteen chorus members selected marks the highest number of All-State singers in the teaching career of director Thad Wilkins.
The 2024 Festival will celebrate the 78th anniversary of this prestigious event. District auditions for the 276 piece All-State Band, 214 piece All-State Orchestra, and 601 member All-State Chorus were held Saturday, Oct. 26 at Le Mars, Hampton, Independence, Atlantic, Indianola, and Washington. Approximately 17% of students who audition are selected for membership in the All State ensembles. Participants will rehearse in Ames Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22 & 23, and the festival concert will be presented to the public at 7:30 pm in Hilton Colluseam, Iowa State University, Ames on Saturday evening Nov. 23. Iowa PBS will record the concert for rebroadcast. Please check the Iowa PBS website (www. iowapbs.org) for exact dates and times. This program is under the auspices of the Iowa High School Music Association and the Iowa Music Educators Association.
Tickets are $30 each, plus fees, and all seats are reserved. Tickets may be obtained for the Iowa AllState Festival Concert by contacting Ticketmaster – Orders may be placed online (www.ticketmaster.com) and are currently on sale. Ticketmaster will charge a per-ticket convenience fee.