I am so excited about the 2023 North and South Region Orchestra and All-State Orchestra Festivals. Please see the AOA website, found below, for information regarding the North and South Region Orchestra Festivals, occurring January 7-8, 2023. The 2023 All-State Orchestra Festival will take place on the campus of the University of Alabama, February 9-12, 2023.
At the 2023 AOA All-State Orchestra Festival, the Festival Orchestra will be led by Steven Gooden, the Assistant Conductor of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Gooden also conducts with Merit School of Music’s Tuition-Free Conservatory, Instrumental and Vocal Music, and Merit Music in Communities programs where he serves as band director at Proviso Math and Science Academy in Forest Park, IL. As a Black musician and motivational educator, Mr. Gooden is passionate about equity and inclusion in classical music. He is committed to never letting the perceptions of others influence the growth within himself or his students. Mr. Gooden finds exceptional joy in empowering young people to push towards being their best selves inside and outside the ensemble. Mr. Gooden holds degrees from Georgia State University and Northwestern University.
Festival Orchestra
Steven Gooden, conductor
Poet and Peasant Overture – Franz von Suppé
2023 AOA Composition Contest Winning Submission – TBA
My Name is Amanda Todd – Jocelyn Morelock
The Sinfonia will be led by Bruce Walker. He is currently Associate Professor of Music at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, WA, Music Director for the Walla Walla Symphony Youth Orchestra, Past President of the Washington chapter of the American String Teachers Association, and on the Board of Directors for the Suzuki Association of the Americas. He is College/University representative for the Washington Music Educators Association, and the
2021 Music Educator of the Year by the Washington Music Educators Association. Internationally, Mr. Walker has worked with the Youth Excellence on Stage Academy in collaboration with American Voices, a non-profit, cultural exchange organization. Through this organization, he has conducted orchestras and taught cello in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Mr. Walker holds degrees from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Central Washington University.
Sinfonia
Bruce Walker, conductor
Danse Nègre – Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Variations on a Theme by Handel – Maurice Whitney
Five Movements in Color, II. The Soul of Remembrance – Mary Watkins
Dream Machine – Brian Balmages
The Consort String Orchestra will be led by Katarzyna (Kasia) Bugaj, Associate Professor of String Music Education in the College of Music at Florida State University. At FSU, she teaches string techniques and methods courses and teaches at the FSU Summer Music Camps. Her research interests include string pedagogy, working with underserved populations, and music teacher education. Dr. Bugaj holds degrees from Western Michigan University, The Peabody Conservatory, and Indiana University, and is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy.
Consort String Orchestra
Katarzyna (Kasia) Bugaj, conductor
Three Pieces in Baroque Style – Krzysztof Penderecki
Breathless – Stephen Chin
The Old Boatman – Florence Price
Libertango – Astor Piazzolla
Please encourage your students to participate in the North/South Region Orchestra and All-State Orchestra Festivals. More information regarding auditions can be found here: https://alabamaorchestraassociation.org
All-Region/All-State Orchestra
Deadlines for Audition Submission/Registration
October 28, 2022 – String and Harp Audition Materials Due
November 11, 2022 – Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion Audition Materials Due
Thank you for all that you do to ensure that orchestral music thrives in the State of Alabama. May we strive to build musical communities where our students find safe spaces to express themselves, their experiences, their hopes, and their dreams for a kinder world where all are loved, nurtured, and supported. May this be our mission and may music be our vehicle.
Musically yours,
Joseph Lee, president
Important Dates
2022-2023 Academic Year
North All-Region Orchestra: January 7-8, 2023
South All-Region Orchestra: January 7-8, 2023
All-State Orchestra Festival: February 9-12, 2023
Orchestra Music Performance Assessment: April 14-15, 2023
