Left to Right: Matthew Caro, Elisha Clause, Isabella Truncale, Ava Higgins, Grace McCulloch, and Deandra Catterson.
Six students from Catskill High School were selected for the 2020 High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. Elisha Clause, Matthew Caro, and Grace McCulloch will perform with the Mixed Choir, while Deandra Catterson, Isabella Truncale, and Ava Higgins will perform with the Women’s Choir this February. Participation in these Honors Ensembles is limited to the highest-rated high school performers from across the world.
These six students auditioned for the Honors Performance Series during the Summer of 2019 and were accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board. Acceptance to the elite group is a direct result of the talent, dedication, and achievements demonstrated in their application and audition recording.
All of the students are currently members of the Catskill High School Concert Chorus, under the direction of Michelle Storrs-Ryan. Each student has participated and received high marks at the NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) Solo Festival. Additionally, they all have participated in the Greene County Music Educators Association All-County Festivals. McCulloch, Catterson, Truncale, and Higgins are members of the Catskill High School Treblaires, also under the direction of Storrs-Ryan. These students are also well-known on the Catskill High School Auditorium stage in their school’s musical productions. Their passion for music is evident in their activities in school both during and after the school day.
Clause, Caro, McCulloch, Catterson, Truncale, and Higgins will join student performers from 47 U.S. states, Guam, several provinces of Canada, Bermuda, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Qatar, and South Korea for a special performance at the world-famous Carnegie Hall, a venue that marks the pinnacle of musical achievement.
The finalists will come together in New York City for five days in February, where they will have the opportunity to learn from world-renowned conductors, work with other finalists, and get a taste of the City. Two performances, an Honors Choral Performance and an Honors Instrumental Performance, will take place Sunday, February 2, and are open to the public. Tickets can be purchased prior to the performance through the Carnegie Hall box office.
“Being selected to the Honors Performance Series is something each Finalist should be extremely proud of accomplishing,” said Matt Castrina, Vice President for the Honors Performance Series. “We processed more than 18,000 nominations this year and have selected over 600 of the most talented student performers from around the world. Working with these conductors and performing at Carnegie Hall is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that these musicians never forget.”
The Honors Performance Series was created to showcase accomplished individual high school performers on an international level by allowing them to study under master conductors and perform in the celebrated venue, Carnegie Hall. The Honors Performance Series is proudly presented by WorldStrides, the nation’s leading educational travel organization. Learn more by visiting www.honorsperformance.org and www.worldstrides.com.