BHS music students rank among state’s best

Berryville High School was honored to have four students selected to the Arkansas All-State Music ensembles this year.

Junior Andrew Griesenauer, after earning first-chair honors at the regional level, was selected to the All-State Concert band as well as the choir. Karson Casey ranked No. 1 in the region and then earned the No. 3 spot in the state on the bassoon. Maynor Valiente Cruz ranked No. 1 at regionals and landed the No. 5 spot on the French horn at state. He was then selected as the principal horn player in the All-State orchestra. Israel Merida-Noriega was selected as the best flute player in the state of Arkansas, earning first chair in the top Wind Ensemble.

“We are blessed in Berryville with some incredible students who work very hard at their instrument,” said band director Tonya Blevins.

The students qualified for the all-state auditions by scoring very high in the regional audition held in early January. These students attended the all-state auditions at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. The All-State Musicians played a concert after their clinic at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

“This is just the beginning of great things yet to come for the BHS music program as individual musicians are rising to a very high level of performance. We are very proud of these young men,” said choir director Cole Moix.

This is the first time in several years that a student has qualified for All-State in choir and Griesenauer qualified in band and choir (and was selected to sing a solo), Moix said.