LCPS Music Department

LCPS Music Awards: Blue Ribbon Schools and High School Honor Bands 2023

8 LCPS schools are recognized as VMEA (Virginia Music Educators Association) Blue Ribbon Schools! In order to receive this honor, three performing ensembles (band, chorus, and orchestra) must receive a superior rating in all three ensembles. Congratulations to these qualifying schools:

Brambleton Middle School
J. Michael Lunsford Middle School
Willard Middle School

Briar Woods High School
Freedom High School
John Champe High School
Lightridge High School
Woodgrove High School

10 LCPS High School Bands are recognized by VBODA (Virginia Band and Orchestra Association) and have received the distinction of Honor Band in the year 2022-2023! In order to qualify, bands must receive a superior rating for marching assessment and in the band assessment in the spring. Congratulations to these qualifying schools:

Dominion High School
Freedom High School
Independence High School
John Champe High School
Lightridge High School
Park View High School
Potomac Falls High School
Rock Ridge High School
Tuscarora High School
Woodgrove High School

So proud of our amazing music educators in Loudoun County Public Schools!

Congratulations to these Commonwealth of Virginia School Divisions named a 2023 NAMM Foundation Best Communities for Music Education!! VMEA - Virginia Music Educators Association celebrate your leadership, success, and quality commitment to music education in your communities!!

Arlington Public Schools
Bristol Virginia Public Schools
Hampton City Schools
Hanover County Public Schools
Harrisonburg City Public Schools
Henrico County Public Schools
King George County Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools
Norfolk Public Schools
Prince William County Public Schools
Richmond Public Schools
Roanoke City Public Schools
Roanoke County Public Schoolss
Stafford County Schools
Suffolk VA Public Schools
Virginia Beach City Public Schools: VBSchools
Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools
York County School Division

ALL-VA and VA ACDA HONOR GROUPS

23 SELECTED FOR ALL-VIRGINIA CHORUS
Twenty-three Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) high school students were selected for the All-Virginia Chorus that will be held April 27-29, 2023 in Richmond. This group is sponsored by the Virginia Music Educators Association. Fifteen alternates were also named.

Emily Aaron, Freedom High School
Alex Amos, Woodgrove High School
Alexander Armstrong, Lightridge High School
Emilia Battaglia, Briar Woods High School
Logan Buckley, Loudoun Valley High School
Elizabeth Brubaker, Woodgrove High School
Molly Burnett, Woodgrove High School
Kaia Greene, Rock Ridge High School
Lilly Heyer, Briar Woods High School
Habib Jaafar, Lightridge High School
Tyler Kaplan, Heritage High School
Sneha Khandavalli, Rock Ridge High School
Taylor Livingston, Lightridge High School
Manya Mamidi, Briar Woods High School
Vikram Mukherjee, Stone Bridge High School
Luke Murtaugh, Woodgrove High School
Kaylie Rivers, Rock Ridge High School
Jocie Schnee, Loudoun Valley High School
Natalia Shane, Freedom High School
Drew Speier, Stone Bridge High School
Anna Takemoto, Loudoun County High School
Amy Tashiro, Loudoun Valley High School
Noah Ubial, Woodgrove High School

Alternates
Anna Chance, Freedom High School
Paul Espino, Briar Woods High School
Tyler Heisey, Woodgrove High School
Riya Jacob, Briar Woods High School
Annika Kumar, Lightridge High School
James Madamba, Rock Ridge High School
Kiera McMahon, Woodgrove High School
Sanvik Medaverapu, Independence High School
Taneesha Mishra, Independence High School
Annabelle Monte, Rock Ridge High School
Matthew Murray, Woodgrove High School
Madhav Pillai, Freedom High School
Victoria Pierce, Lightridge High School
Nathan Rowberry, Rock Ridge High School
Sam Takemoto, Loudoun County High School

38 SELECTED FOR ALL-VA BAND & ORCHESTRA
Thirty-eight Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) high school students were selected for the All-Virginia Band and Orchestra that will be held April 27-29, 2023 in Richmond. This group is sponsored by the Virginia Music Educators Association. Two alternates were also named.

Megan Acevedo, Briar Woods High School
Timothy Adeuya, Independence High School
Seth Alexander, Freedom High School
Anya Anand, Freedom High School
Charlie Andress, Stone Bridge High School
Nathanial Bowen, Heritage High School
Sofia Burbano, Briar Woods High School
Brandon Bae, Freedom High School
Dillon Chada, Independence High School
Jocelyn Chang, Freedom High School
Calyna Chen, Freedom High School
Erin Choi, Freedom High School
Jocelyn Chang, Freedom High School
Jack Cooney, Independence High School
Kaylee Dickenson, Briar Woods High School
Anderson Evitt, Dominion High School
Kit Gardner, Stone Bridge High School
Parv Gosai, Rock Ridge High School
Owen Hochwald, Stone Bridge High School
Karis Huang, Rock Ridge High School
Christopher Hurley, Briar Woods High School
Lucy Jackson, John Champe High School
Nischal Jha, Heritage High School
Nathan Kram, Independence High School
Kayla Kwon, John Champe High School
Kartika Lanka, Briar Woods High School
Julia Li, Freedom High School
Cadence Litteral, Dominion High School
Adrian Motas, Lightridge High School
Annah Nikolova, John Champe High School
Jeremy Oh, Stone Bridge High School
Ashley Powell, Lightridge High School
Milen Satish, Riverside High School
Nathan Tuo, Briar Woods High School
Emmanuel Wamba, Lightridge High School
Kato Watsen, Independence High School
Esther Yu, Freedom High School
Cynthia Zhao, Stone Bridge High School

Alternates
Sofia Burbano, Briar Woods High School
Joel Jesuraj, John Champe High School

86 SELECTED FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL VIRGINIA ACDA CHORUS
Eighty-six Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) middle school students were selected for the Virginia ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) Honor Choirs that will be held April 27-29, 2023 in Richmond. This group is sponsored by Virginia ACDA. Six alternates were also named.

Belmont Ridge Middle School
Aleeza Faruqui
Marwa Ouazzani
Amritha Vudumula

Blue Ridge Middle School
Ariana Doyle
Lily Schlereth
Maddy Smith

Brambleton Middle School
Keira Adamson
Tejus Adepu
Agastya Anil
Katelyn Collins
Simran Dombla
Aubrey Tong
Sophia Wilhelm

Farmwell Station Middle School
Eleanor Dixon

Harmony Middle School
Marshall Benney
Aurelia Buhler
Andrew Dean
Faith Hartley
Arabella Horton
Alexis House
Acadia Geiger
Molly Den Herder
Abraham Perdomo Pacheco
Mackenzie Sieczkowski
Jordan Smith

Harper Park Middle School
Kai Canales
Emelyn Kuo
Kristian Peters
Piper Stewart

J. L. Simpson Middle School
Grace Allred
Justin Goodhart
Emma Nicholson
Andrew Roos
Haelie Shabanowitz
Shelby Taylor

J. Michael Lunsford Middle School
Anisha Dadhich
Hadia Hatami
Jaein Hwang
Lisa Moon
Naomi S. Smoot

Seneca Ridge Middle School
Kinsey Pettit
Hannah Stephen

Smart's Mill Middle School
Ava Lewis
Cassy Morgenthau
Cassia Price

Stone Hill Middle School
Anish Akula
Karam Alazem
Eliana Bhimanpalli
Olivia Castillo
Sanjana Chandok
McKenna Christy
Baylee Cicheskie
Ishaan Hoysal
Avika Jeeth
Tanishka Kamble
Eesha Korlepara
Hasini Kotinadhuni
Joanne Mannancheril
Dust McCready
Deetya Mudumba
Nidhi Muthamsetty
Divya Patnaik
Aashika Pesaladinne
Sreeja Punuru
Eshaan Santosh
Ansh Shah
Ish*ta Sharma
Ivy Snyder
Abi Valliappan
Isha Veera
Amélie Waas

Trailside Middle School
Fiona Donovan
Ava Jones
Lambert Venema
Lucy Whitehead

Willard Middle School
Livia Andersen
Jordan Brooks
Anna Dawson
Nishka Kayapanda
Mackenna Larson
Caleb McConnell
Nina Neti
Kayla Nguyen
Deetya Pentapati
Noelle Souders
Ainsley Young

Alternates
Marley Antognoli, River Bend Middle School
Olivia Blunt, Willard Middle School
Nicole Chima-Orji, Willard Middle School
Ryan Fila, Farmwell Station Middle School
Ann Verhey, Harmony Middle School
Lydia Yang, River Bend Middle School

Congratulations to 175 of the best middle/high school string students who represented LCPS in our annual All-County Orchestra event that took place this past weekend at Loudoun Valley High School. These students were selected from a highly competitive audition held in January and then the selected students had an opportunity to work renowned conductors during this two-day event, Dr. Angela Ammerman and Dr. Sandy Goldie.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Scf_Bky1fpIryAYqHXIFPwgfErAqAEqz/edit

VMEA 2022 Press Release.docx LCPS Choral, Guitar, Jazz Musicians, Composers, Performing Ensembles and Teachers Honored at VMEA Conference Sixty-one musicians from Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) will participate in the 2022 Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) State Conference in Richmond November 15-19, 2022. ...

2022 NORTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA REGIONAL ORCHESTRA

90 of LCPS finest orchestra and band students qualified for the 2022 NCVRO (North Central Virginia Regional Orchestra). This orchestra is comprised of students selected through audition from Manassas, Manassas Park, Prince William, Wi******er, Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, Warren, Fredericksburg, Quantico, Caroline, Essex, King George, Lancaster, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Westmoreland, and Loudoun school districts. The concert will be held Saturday, November 12th at Brooke Point High School, Stafford, Virginia.

A special thanks to LCPS Directors Eric Blanks (Broad Run High School, Director of Bands) Wind Audition Host, Adam Foreman (John Champe High School, Director of bands) Wind Audition Chairperson, and Sarah Geiger (Farmwell Station Middle School, Director of Orchestras) Strings Audition Host. Adrienne Caravan (J. Michael Lunsford Middle School, Director of Orchestras) and Carrie Albers (Broad Run High School, Director of Orchestras) will chair the event. Junior Regional Orchestra will be under the baton of Kirt Mosier, composer and educator, and Senior Regional Orchestra will be under the direction of Mathias Elmer, Virginia Tech, Director of Orchestras.

Those students from LCPS are:

Belmont Ridge Middle School
Eden Cardozo

Blue Ridge Middle School
Alternate:
Willow Tester

Briar Woods High School
Megan Acevedo
Sofia Burbano
Michelle Chung
Eric Kim
Jiho Lee
Melodie Moore
Alysa Yao

Broad Run High School
Sebastian Bohnett

Dominion High School
Alex Cho
Josephine Lee
Zoe Schauder

Eagle Ridge Middle School
Eugene Choi
Adya Garg
Arya Singh

Farmwell Station Middle School
George Bomberger
Patrick Chou
Ayla Jalali
Clara Loy

Freedom High School
Anya Anand
Brandon Bae
Jocelyn Chang
Calyna Chen
Anchy Cho
Erin Choi
Hailey Chong
Hytran Dang
Yenni Dang
Andrew Fernandes
Kierstin Han
Nuri Han
Lucy Haskell
Ashley Kim
Matthew Kim
Peter Koo
Kristine Le
Julia Li
David Lim
Andrew Nguyen
Derek Nguyen
Brandon Shen
Nicole Shou
Esther Yu

Alternate:
Manmayi Ghaisas

Harmony Middle School
David Debreczy

Heritage High School
Nate Bowen

Alternate:
Nischal Jha

Independence High School
Sara Chen
Chloe Park

J. Michael Lunsford Middle School
Joon An
Ace Avery
Madison Bae
Richy Cho
Adam Choi
Jonathan Joo
Stephen Lee

Alternate:
Rithika Sukumar

John Champe High School
Lucy Jackson
Kayla Kwon
Ethan Yoon

Alternates:
Diego Hernandez

Lightridge High School
Diana Couey
Pranjal Jha
Kristy Lau
Andrew Martin
Adrian Motas
Rudy Nassan Agha
Ashley Powell
Monet Shum
Ruhi Sujlana

Loudoun Valley High School
Lauren MacDonnell
Addison Miller

Potomac Falls High School
Micaela Perezous
Kate Sheppard

River Bend Middle School
Ian Farber

Riverside High School
Mason Corkhill

Rock Ridge High School
Parv Gosai
Tyler Nguyen
Shaun Sahayadarlin
Rohan Santosh

Seneca Ridge Middle School
Emily Cowles

Smart’s Mill Middle School
Elsie Dinsmore
Waylon Malarkey

Stone Bridge High School
Charlie Andress
Andrew Brown
Claire Lee
Jeremy Oh
Cynthia Zhao

Trailside Middle School
Ethan Shapiro

Tuscarora High School
Bailey Bushrod
Julia Johnson
Christopher Tally

Willard Middle School
David Cho

Alternate: Noah Lee

Woodgrove High School
John McCartan

Alternates:
Mya Haines
Lincoln Reck
Madison Rider

2022 All-National Honor Ensembles (ANHE)

The NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles (ANHE), taking place November 3-6, 2022 in National Harbor, Maryland, represent the top performing high school musicians in the United States. So much more than a musical showcase, the ANHE program is a comprehensive and educational experience. The 2022 ensembles will meet under the leadership of top conductors in the field of music education.

There are six ensembles in this prestigious event. Loudoun County Public Schools is proud to have twelve students successfully audition for and participate in various ensembles. The students from LCPS were:

Hannah Adnan, Rock Ridge High School, Guitar Ensemble
Ananya Akula, Rock Ridge High School, Mixed Choir
Anna Bollar, Riverside High School, Guitar Ensemble
Diego Doone, Freedom High School, Guitar Ensemble
Ava Hearne, Riverside High School, Guitar Ensemble
Owen Hochwald, Stone Bridge High School, Concert Band
Alex Ignacio, Freedom High School, Guitar Ensemble
Rishi Kadiyala, Freedom High School, Guitar Ensemble
Julia Li, Freedom High School, Symphony Orchestra
James Madamba, Rock Ridge High School, Mixed Choir
Jacob Quan, Riverside High School, Guitar Ensemble
Daniel Robinson, Loudoun County High School, Guitar Ensemble

LOUDOUN RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY FOR MUSIC EDUCATION

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) has again been named as one of the 2022 Best Communities for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Only 19 school districts in the Commonwealth of Virginia were recipients of this award.

Now in its 23rd year, the awards program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education. Designations are made to districts and schools that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education. This year’s awards program was designed to celebrate schools and districts adapting, innovating, and persevering in the face of change.

“The 2022 Best Communities for Music Education is an opportunity to celebrate music programs and honors the resilience and dedication to keeping music as part of a well-rounded education as we all adapt to a new educational landscape,” says Christopher Johnson of the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. “If there was one common theme to be taken from all submissions, it’s that schools and districts found ways to sustain music education and student engagement in even the most challenging of circumstances.”

Congratulations to all LCPS students and teachers who participated in last weekend's All-Virginia Band, Chorus, and Orchestra, as well as the Virginia ACDA Middle School Honors Chorus!

23 SELECTED FOR ALL-VIRGINIA CHORUS
Twenty-three Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) high school students were selected for the All-Virginia Chorus that was held April 21-23, 2022 in Richmond. This group is sponsored by the Virginia Music Educators Association.

Avery Abramson, Loudoun County High School
Ananya Akula, Rock Ridge High School
Chloe Anderson, Loudoun Valley High School
Keira Anderson, Loudoun Valley High School
Mihika Bangarbale, Rock Ridge High School
Logan Buckley, Loudoun Valley High School
Molly Burnett, Woodgrove High School
Arushi Chaturvedi, Freedom High School
Sneha Khandavalli, Rock Ridge High School
Taylor Livingston, Lightridge High School
James Madamba, Rock Ridge High School
Matthew Miscio, Rock Ridge High School
Maxie Montgomery, Rock Ridge High School
Vikram Mukherjee, Stone Bridge High School
Eshaan Nair, Rock Ridge High School
Mary Chandler Northcutt, Dominion High School
Christina Riordan, Broad Run High School
Ishan Saha, Rock Ridge High School
Jocie Schnee, Loudoun Valley High School
Ellie Schubert, Rock Ridge High School
Preet Singh, Freedom High School
Keshav Tarafdar, Rock Ridge High School
Trisha Thatai, Potomac Falls High School

Alternates

Allyson Bell, Loudoun Valley High School
Sam Berman, Broad Run High School
Sam Cooper, Rock Ridge High School
Sarah Fischer, Freedom High School
Kaia Greene, Rock Ridge High School
Isabel Layman, Freedom High School
Ethan Mpanju, Freedom High School
Matthew Murray, Woodgrove High School
Kaylie Rivers, Rock Ridge High School
Grayson Scheefers, Rock Ridge High School
Brielle Schermerhorn, Woodgrove High School
Natalia Shane, Freedom High School



Oliver Shigley, Briar Woods High School
Sasanka Sreedevi-Naresh, Briar Woods High School
Josef Waheed, Dominion High School







39 SELECTED FOR ALL-VA BAND & ORCHESTRA

Thirty-nine Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) high school students were selected for the All-Virginia Band and Orchestra that was held April 21-23, 2022 at CNU (Christopher Newport University). This group is sponsored by the Virginia Music Educators Association.

Adrian Cheung, Broad Run High School, Concertmaster, All-VA Orchestra
Nirel Amoyaw, John Champe High School
Anya Anand, Freedom High School
Brandon Bae, Freedom High School
Sebastian Bohnett, Broad Run High School
Elliot Boyko, Woodgrove High School
Jayden Bruce, Tuscarora High School
Jocelyn Chang, Freedom High School
Jia Kan Choo, Tuscarora High School
Chris Daniel, Briar Woods High School
Ben Dickson, Woodgrove High School
Parv Gosai, Rock Ridge High School
Kierstin Han, Freedom High School
Michael Hann, Stone Bridge High School
Owen Hochwald, Stone Bridge High School
Christopher Hurley, Briar Woods High School
Jessica Jiang, Broad Run High School
Pawan Kashyap, Rock Ridge High School
Claire Lee, Stone Bridge High School
Julia Li, Freedom High School
Maggie Lum, Potomac Falls High School
Sunjum Mehta, John Champe High School
Annah Nikolova, John Champe High School
Jeremy Oh, Stone Bridge High School
Ashley Powell, Lightridge High School
Evan Romito, Stone Bridge High School
Alex Rutkowski, Dominion High School
Milen Satish, Riverside High School
Jacob Schear, Woodgrove High School
Max Schellhammer, Independence High School
Brandon Shen, Freedom High School
Nicole Shou, Freedom High School
Annie Tang, Riverside High School
Jacob Taylor, Freedom High School
Samhitha Venkat, Freedom High School
Kato Watsen, Independence High School
Jake WIlson, Woodgrove High School
Derek Yu, Briar Woods High School
Esther Yu, Freedom High School
Cynthia Zhao, Stone Bridge High School

Alternates
Thomas Moore, Rock Ridge High School






82 SELECTED FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL VIRGINIA ACDA CHORUS
Eighty-two Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) middle school students were selected for the Virginia ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) Honor Choirs that was held April 21-23, 2022 in Richmond. This group is sponsored by Virginia ACDA.
Belmont Ridge Middle School
Dona Choi
Akira Dasgupta
Charlotte Duggan
Aleeza Faruqui
Autumn Harris
Hailey Skinner

Blue Ridge Middle School
Charlotte Abbe
Sonia Arbab
Ryan Dascenzo
Andrew Doyle
Oscar Little
Norah McCormick
Elyse Rath
Caroline Titterington

Brambleton Middle School
Kiera Adamson
Agastya Anil
Aubrey Tong
Sophia Wilhelm

Harmony Middle School
John Donohoe
Kassidy Donohoe
Acadia Geiger
Ashley Rayburn

Harper Park Middle School
Emelyn Kuo
Piper Stewart

J. L. Simpson Middle School
Halle Burciaga
Norah Lee
Julia Perhach
Haelie Shabanowitz

J. Michael Lunsford Middle School
Jeremiah Chery
Max Dobish
C**t Gibson
Natalie Pringle
Ava Winterton

River Bend Middle School
Marley Antognoli
Isla Haas
Sofia Lupas
Keelin Moriarty
Akshay Setty
Isabelle Ventura

Seneca Ridge Middle School
Harrison Greer
Claire Howard
Shayne Sanderson
Noah Van Wyngaardt

Smart's Mill Middle School
Addy Ewing
Grant Ewing
Cassia Price
Kaitlynn Scott
Mena Swesi

Stone Hill Middle School
Laura Adams
Grace Carper
Sanjana Chandok
Baylee Cicheskie
Anaya Das
Gavin Fortuno
Tanishka Kamble
Hasini Kotinadhuni
Suha Nalluri
Aashika Pesaladinne
Pranathi Purushothamaiah
Yash Sahoo
Ansh Shah
Abi Valliappan
Architha Varakantam

Trailside Middle School
Ummaima Amir
Madison Lawler
Bedanshi Sahu

Willard Middle School
Nadira Aleem
Livia Andersen
Triya Bhupathiraju
Olivia Blunt
Jordan Brooks
Penelope Ehring
Mohamed Franklin
Jyotsna Gopianand
Mackenna Larson
Vernon Lewis
Niveda Nair
Kayla Nguyen
Deetya Pentapati
Abhigna Polepally
Srishanth Ravi
Cooper Spence

Alternates
Alexandra Ambrose, J. Michael Lunsford Middle School
Amanda Martinez Chavez, Harper Park Middle School
Sam Davis, Seneca Ridge Middle School
Claire Nanna, J. L. Simpson Middle School
Mahmoud Swesi, Smart’s Mill Middle School
Lydia Yang, River Bend Middle School

Congratulations to Jordan Markwood, choral director and fine arts chair at Rick Ridge HS. We are proud of you and the extraordinary influence you have on so many!

A huge congrats to Jordan Markwood, the Fine Arts Department chair and choral director at Rock Ridge High School, for being named the 2022 Washington Post Teacher of the Year. Markwood was selected for this award after having been named Loudoun County’s 2022 Teacher of the Year. Read the full details: https://lcps.pub/3Okw5zV
(Washington Post)

So proud of our Wolf Trap Grant recipients!

Congrats to Jordan Markwood, Fine Arts Department Chair and Choral Music Director at Rock Ridge High School, and Corinne Fox, Theatre teacher at Potomac Falls High School, for being awarded 2022 Wolf Trap Grants. Read more: https://lcps.pub/3r3djDj

LCPS Students in 2022 ACDA Southern Division Choirs

54 students from Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) successfully auditioned and are participating in the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Southern Division Choirs in Raleigh, North Carolina. The event is being held February 23-26, 2022.

Belmont Ridge Middle School
Carrie Geiger, Director
Akira Dasgupta
Charlotte Duggan
Spencer Todd

Brambleton Middle School
Kirk Forthman, Director
Vaishnavi Chamarti
Riley Lusk

Freedom High School
Laura Lazarevich, Director
Arushi Chaturvedi
Madison Coffren
Liliana Gines
Maadhavan Iyer
Tanya Kusuma
Ethan Mpanju
Madhav Pillai
Natalia Shane
Preet Singh
Katie Valentini

Harmony Middle School
Lisa Washington, Director
Acadia Geiger
Alexis House
Alexander Low
Jordan Smith

Heritage High School
Cris Cini, Director
Neve Holloway
Hadley Jones

Independence High School
Christine Tarrant, Director
Samantha Schroeder
Taneesha Mishra
Sanvik Medavarapu

J. Michael Lunsford Middle School
Melissa Payes, Director
Alexa Ambrose
Anisha Dadhrich
Imogen Yabes

Lightridge High School
Helai Karim, Director
Taylor Livingston

Loudoun County High School
Willis Rosenfeld, Director
Emma Wride

Loudoun Valley High School
Kelly Holowecki, Director
Chloe Anderson
Keira Anderson
Julia Heltzel

Rock Ridge High School
Jordan Markwood, Director
Maggie Cantwell
Samuel Cooper
Kailyn Fetterman
Sneha Khandavalli
Ayush Marwaha
Kylie Miller
Roshan Mohanty
Eshaan Nair
Anna Nguyen
Mihir Prasad
Ishan Saha
Grayson Scheefers
Ellie Schubert

Stone Hill Middle School
Annabelle Mills, Director
Laura Adams
Sanjana Chandok
Ishaan Hoysal
Shritha Khandavalli
Hasini Kotinadhuni
Aashika Pesaladinne
Architha Varakantam

Tuscarora High School
Christine Tarrant, Director
Sydney Nicklas
Alyce Snead

Way to go! Fifty-five of our orchestra and band students qualified for the 2021 North Central Virginia Regional Orchestra (NCVRO). For a list of students, go to: https://lcps.pub/3uS99AI

Congratulations!

A big congrats to our 56 student and teacher musicians that will participate in the 2021 Virginia Music Educators Association State Conference next week, November 16-20. For a list of participants, go to: https://lcps.pub/3wBIt61

24 SELECTED FOR ALL-VIRGINIA CHORUS
Twenty-four Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) high school students were selected for the All-Virginia Chorus that was held virtually on April 23 & 24, 2021. This group is sponsored by the Virginia Choral Directors’ Association.

Avery Abramson, Loudoun County High School
Ananya Akula, Rock Ridge High School
Chloe Anderson, Loudoun Valley High School
Mihika Bangarbale, Rock Ridge High School
Cleopatra Barr, Rock Ridge High School
Ally Bell, Loudoun Valley High School
Sam Berman, Broad Run High School
Andrew Burton, Stone Bridge High School
Rythama Chevendra, Stone Bridge High School
Jordan Codella, Broad Run High School
Deanna Doffermyre, Freedom High School
Annie French, Woodgrove High School
Hasitha Guhan, Riverside High School
Isabel Layman, Freedom High School
Danny Leipzig, Potomac Falls High School
Eshaan Nair, Rock Ridge High School
Lars Nyman, Rock Ridge High School
Sarah Moldover, Potomac Falls High School
Ishan Saha, Rock Ridge High School
Brielle Schermerhorn, Woodgrove High School
Ellie Schubert, Rock Ridge High School
Keshav Tarafdar, Rock Ridge High School
Lili Williams, Heritage High School
Brennan Wood, Freedom High School

Alternates
Lauren Brokken, Dominion High School
Robert Brown, Dominion High School
Sam Cooper, Rock Ridge High School
Sophia Coulopoulos, Riverside High School
Ani D***s, Potomac Falls High School
Alana Fick, Freedom High School
Alexander Footen, Riverside High School
Kaia Greene, Rock Ridge High School
Raunak Hota, Riverside High School
Noah Mayrides, Riverside High School
Will Mosier, Freedom High School
Vikram Mukherjee, Stone Bridge High School
Anna Osborne, Briar Woods High School
Oliver Shigley, Briar Woods High School
Lily Takemoto, Loudoun County High School
Alyssa VanLandingham, Briar Woods High School


31 SELECTED FOR ALL-VA BAND & ORCHESTRA
Thirty Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) high school students were selected for the All-Virginia Band and Orchestra that was held virtually on April 23 & 24, 2021. This group is sponsored by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association.

Justin Abel, Freedom High School
Nirel Amoyaw, John Champe High School
Anya Anand, Freedom High School
John Calma, Dominion High School
Brian Collins, Potomac Falls High School
Christopher Daniel, Briar Woods High School
Abigail Duke, Potomac Falls High School
Kierstin Han, Freedom High School
Owen Hochwald, Stone Bridge High School
David Huelsmann, Stone Bridge High School
Julia Kwon, Independence High School
Sunjum Mehta, John Champe High School
Brody Minnick, Briar Woods High School
Beau Mueller, Riverside High School
Kyle Norberg, Briar Woods High School
Jeremy Oh, Broad Run High School
Nyla Ortiz, Stone Bridge High School
Layne Parks, Dominion High School
Stephen Payes, Briar Woods High School
Parker Peterson, Stone Bridge High School
Ian Roeder, Stone Bridge High School
Evan Romito, Stone Bridge High School
Jacob Schear, Tuscarora High School
Amelia Rose Sheppard, Tuscarora High School
Ben Stone, Heritage High School
Anne Tang, Riverside High School
Lyndrinn Yao, John Champe High School
Derek Yu, Briar Woods High School
Kelly Zhou, Briar Woods High School

Alternates
Joshua Domingues, Freedom High School
Lara Forstner, John Champe High School
Garrett Goldberger, Freedom High School
Ella Iovinelli, Stone Bridge High School
Jessica Jiang. Broad Run High School
Samantha Leathem, Stone Bridge High School
Annabelle Melus, Independence High School
Max Schelhammer, Independence High School
Esther Yu, Freedom High School


8 SELECTED FOR ALL-VA JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Eight Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) high school students were selected for the All-Virginia Jazz Ensemble that is being held virtually during May of 2021. This group is sponsored by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association.

Justin Abel, Freedom High School
Austin Balagao, Briar Wood High School
Eri Fantilaga, Stone Bridge High School
Sean McLaughlin, Briar Wood High School
Brody Minnick, Briar Wood High School
Stephen Payes, Briar Wood High School
Parker Peterson, Stone Bridge High School
Jackson Tallamy, Tuscarora High School

LOUDOUN RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY FOR MUSIC EDUCATION

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) has again been named as one of the 2021 Best Communities for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Only 20 school districts in the Commonwealth of Virginia were recipients of this award.

Now in its 21st year, the awards program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education. Designations are made to districts and schools that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education. These districts and schools set the bar in offering all students access to comprehensive music education.

Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. In a series of landmark studies by scientists and researchers at Northwestern University a link was found between students in community music programs and life-long academic success, including higher high school graduation rates and college attendance. In another study from the University, it was discovered that the benefits of early exposure to music education improves how the brain processes and assimilates sounds, a trait that lasts well into adulthood.

Thank you for your recognition of music teachers!

Three cheers for music teachers! 🎵🎶
Sing-alongs, early exposure to musical instruments, and opportunities for all students to perform in front of family and friends - your work is so important!

Arts Across Virginia is only two days away!

48 students from Loudoun County Public Schools qualify for VMEA Honors Choir and North Central Senior Regional Orchestra

Honors Choir will be held as a virtual event, under the direction of Dr. Christopher Aapass, Texas Christian University. The concert will be released during “Music in Our Schools” month (March 2021). The students successfully qualified via a rigorous virtual audition that included choral singers throughout the entire Commonwealth of Virginia.

HONORS CHOIR

Broad Run High School--Jennifer Kauffmann, Director
Jordan Codella

Freedom High School--Laura Lazarevich, Director
Deanna Doffermyre
Brennan Wood

Heritage High School--Jack Krimmel, Director
Lili Williams

Tuscarora High School--Christine Tarrant, Director
Alexis Freire

The north central regional orchestra is filled by auditioning students across the region. This highly competitive event is comprised of musicians from several counties including Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Fauquier, and several counties from Frederick County to Shenandoah County. This year students submitted virtual auditions.This event qualifies all string players to audition for the All-Virginia event, as well as the majority of the wind players.

SENIOR REGIONAL ORCHESTRA BAND MEMBERS

Briar Woods High School--Duane Minnick, Director
Mathew Hughes
Kyle Norberg
Derek Yu

Dominion High School--Ryan Rowles, Director
John Calma

Freedom High School--Jonathan Schiffler and Keith Taylor, Directors
Justin Abel
Anya Anand
Jacob Taylor

Heritage High School--George Herrmann, Director
Ben Stone

John Champe High School--Adam Foreman and Jason Miller, Directors
Lara Forstner
Jake Thomas

Independence HIgh School--Kyle Harrington, Director
Annabelle Melus

Park View High School--Brian Morton, Director
Alex Schaefer

Stone Bridge High School--David Keller and Megan Stallings, Directors
Ella Iovinelli

Woodgrove HS--Ryan Dempsey, Director
Benjamin Dickson

SENIOR REGIONAL ORCHESTRA MEMBERS

Briar Woods High School--Claire H. Park-Kolonay, Director
Megan Acevedo
Annette Lee
Sahana Sreeram
Kelly Zhou

Broad Run High School--Carrie Albers, Director
Adrian Cheung
Michael Chou
Jessica Jiang
Jeremy Oh

Dominion High School--Ethan Lawrence, Director
Kel Raphael

Freedom High School--Claire H. Park-Kolonay, Director
Brandon Bae
Hailey Chong
Morgan Glass
Kierstin Han
Nuri Han
Elena Owellen
Esther Yu

Lightridge High School--Robby Carroll, Director
Monet Shum
Emily Song

Loudoun Valley High School--Kelly Holowecki, Director
Isabelle Marsh

Potomac Falls High School--Alexa Kanakry, Director
Erin Chan

Riverside High School--Romana Hartmetz
Andrew (June) Park
Annie Tang

Rock Ridge High School--Teresa Gordon, Director
Pawan Kashyap
Sydney Pascual

Stone Bridge High School--David Schear, Director
Alessandria Axtell
Ellen Hong

Tuscarora High School--Larisa Marian, Director
Alyssa Cabassa
Christopher Tally

Woodgrove High School--Samantha Oakley, Director
Katie Hicks