SPECIAL EDITION: ALL-STATE FESTIVAL 2026

Celebrating All-State Festival Success

Congratulations to the participants in the 5th annual All-State Festival, May 7-9, held on the campus of Michigan State University! This event truly represents the best of the best in

Michigan. Soloists, small ensembles, large ensembles, choirs, and musical theatre ensembles performed with excellence and artistry throughout the busy weekend. All events had large audiences full of support, encouragement, and positivity. 

A huge thank you goes out to the coordinators, supervisors, staff, chaperones, and volunteers who helped make this event a success. Because of these individuals, students and directors were able to focus on presenting their talents at the highest level. Thank you especially to Peyton Weil for your work supervising the All-State Honors Choir. It was a beautiful concert and a busy weekend for these talented students, their teachers, and their families.

Peyton Weil, All-State Honors Choir Supervisor and Amy Schroeder, Director of All-State Festival (L-R)

Submitted by Amy Schroeder, Director of All-State Festival

Specialized Gala Concert

Thursday, May 7

6:30 PM

Chamber Singers

Dundee Community High School

Megan Sinclair, Director

Great Expectations, The Outsiders

One Day More, Les Miserables

Mixed Varsity Choir

Dakota High School

Tyler Dargis, Director

As if We Never Said Goodbye, Sunset Boulevard

Everybody Rejoice (Brand New Day), The Wiz

Philharmonics

North Muskegon High School

Beth Slimko, Director

Stay Gold, The Outsiders

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Les Miserables

Dr. Lara Brooks, Director

All-State Musical Theatre Honors Ensemble

Dr. Joseph Daniel-Hoste, Collaborative Pianist

All-State Musical Theatre Honors Ensemble

Traditional Gala Concert

Thursday, May 7

8 PM

Outstanding Soloist UP Region

Lila Zimmerman

Escanaba High School

Sydney Ogren, Director & Collaborative Pianist

Deep River, African Spiritual, Arr. Andy Beck

The Green-Eyed Dragon, Wolseley Charles

Large Ensemble UP Region

Chamber

Marquette High School

Sheila Grazulis, Director

Father Thunder, Laura Jekabsone

Earth Song, Frank Ticheli

Dies Irae, Michael Trotta

Outstanding Choir

Chamber Choir

Saline High School

Sarah Deas, Director

Kristin Hoffman-Peavler, Collaborative Pianist

Way Over in Beaulah Lan’, Traditional Spiritual, Arr. Stacey V. Bibbs

Come to Me, My Love, Norman Dello Joio

Blogodop, Sydney Guillaume

Outstanding Soloist UP Region

Reya Ghiardi

Marquette High School

Sheila Grazulis, Director & Collaborative Pianist

Donna Poirier, Voice Teacher

Du Bist Die Ruh, Franza Schubert

Les oiseaux dans la charmille, Jacques Offenbach

Outstanding Choir

Concert Choir

Detroit School of Arts

Julian J. Goods, Director

Victor Boyd, Collaborative Pianist

Hehleelooyuh, James Furman

Cum Sancto Spiritu, José Maurício Nunes Garcia

My God is A Rock, Stacey V. Gibbs

Vocal Solo & Ensemble Recitals

Friday, May 8

9 AM

Select Ensemble

Haslett High School

Samara Valla, Director

Stephanie Gewirtz, Collaborative Pianist

Caritas Abundat (Great & Fiery Force), Michael John Trotta

Does the World Say?, Kyle Pederson

Kafal Sviri, Petar Liondev

Choral-Aires

Traverse City Central High School

Tamara Grove Williams, Director

Lynne Palmer Warren, Collaborative Pianist

Evocation, Hye-Young Cho

Riuh, Tracy Wong

Chariots, Péter Louis van Dijk

Fresh Treble

Ann Arbor Pioneer High School

Steven R. Lorenz, Director

Seohyun You, Collaborative Pianist

Mon coeur se recommande à vous, Orlando di Lasso

He’s Gone Away, Arr. Ron Nelson

Chi la gagliarda, Baldassare Donato

Crimson Willard

Byron Center High School

Jennifer Metcalf, Director

Rebecca Becker, Collaborative Pianist

Les Rowsey, Voice Teacher

Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind, Roger Quilter

Nina, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

Chamber Choir

Lake Orion High School

Matthew W. Smith, Director

Dana Usealman, Collaborative Pianist

I Will Praise the Name of God With A Song, Michael A. Mitchell

Give Me Your Stars, Lucy Walker

Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, Eric Whitacre

Gabriella Kish-Salkovski

Grosse Pointe South High School

Carolyn Gross, Director

Richard Wolf, Collaborative Pianist

Diane Schoff, Voice Teacher

O Del Mio Dolce Ardor, Christoph Willibald von Gluck

The Swing, Liza Lehmann

AJ Denomme

Dakota High School

Tyler Dargis, Director

Olivia Ferguson, Collaborative Pianist

Nicole Joseph, Voice Teacher

Si mes vers avaient des ailes, Reynaldo Hahn

Soliloquy, John W. Work

Choraliers

Ann Arbor Pioneer High School

Steven R. Lorenz, Director

Seohyun You, Accompanist

Muié Rendêra, Arr. Carlos Alberto Pinto Fonseca

Ave Maria, Javier Busto

Wade in the Water, Arr. Stacey V. Gibbs

Lauren Nichols

Traverse City Central High School

Tamara Grove Williams, Director

Lynne Palmer Warren, Collaborative Pianist

Jayne Sleder, Voice Teacher

Toglietemi la vita ancor, Alessandro Scarlatti

The Sun Whose Rays, Gilbert and Sullivan

Rowan Page

DeWitt High School

Meghan Eldred-Woolsey, Director

John Dale Smith, Collaborative Pianist

Janine Novenske Smith, Voice Teacher

Johanna, Stephen Sondheim

The Pinstripes Are All That They See, Marc Shaiman

Men’s Ensemble

Grosse Pointe South High School

Carolyn Gross, Director

Richard Wolf, Collaborative Pianist

When We Sing, Rosephanye Powell

Vive L’Amore, Alice Parker and Robert Shaw

The Awakening, Joseph M. Martin

Lila Zimmerman

Escanaba Senior High School

Sydney Ogren, Director & Collaborative Pianist

Deep River, African-American Spiritual, Arr. Andy Beck

The Green-Eyed Dragon, Wolseley Charles

Pinrui Nian

Grandville High School

Benjamin Mohr, Director

Erin Wegener, Collaborative Pianist

Jennie Judd Reyes, Voice Teacher

Danza, Danza, Francesco Durante

The Green Dog, Herbert Kingsley

Chamber Choir

DeWitt High School

Meghan Eldred-Woolsey, Director

John Dale Smith, Collaborative Pianist

To Sit and Dream, Rosephanye Powell

Miniyama Nayo, Paul John Rudoi

That Which Remains, Andrea Ramsey

SSAA Quartet

Chippewa Valley High School

James Pecar, Director

Olivia Ferguson, Collaborative Pianist

Sicut Cervus, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Arr. Beth Deutmeyer

Home, Z. Randall Stroope

Sicut Erat (from Magnificat), Niccola Porpora

Violet Procunier

Oakland Homeschool Music

Cherub Beard, Director

Todd Schreiber, Collaborative Pianist

Alta Dantzler, Voice Teacher

Solveig’s Song from “Peer Gynt”, Edvard Grieg

What Will It Be from “Regina”, Marc Blitzstein

Chorale

Lake Orion High School

Matthew W. Smith, Director

Dana Usealman, Collaborative Pianist

Refuge, Elaine Hagenberg

After the Last, Don Macdonald

Dies Irae, Aaron Gage

William Perkins

Detroit School of Arts

Julian J. Goods, Director & Collaborative Pianist

Tyrese Byrd, Voice Teacher

Minstrel Man, Margaret Bonds

ll Fervido Desiderio, Vincenzo Bellini

Choral-Aires

Traverse City West Senior High School

Erich Wangeman, Director

David Husser, Collaborative Pianist

Vine hulpe di la munte, Carol from the Village of Treznea, Arr. Adrian Pop

My Flight for Heaven, Blake R. Henson

Witness, Traditional Spiritual, Arr. Jack Holloran

Vocal Solo & Ensemble Recitals

Friday, May 8

1 PM

A Cappella SATB Ensemble

Ann Arbor Skyline High School

Lindsay CieChanski, Director

Todd Schreiber, Collaborative Pianist

Fa Una Canzona, Orazio Vecchi

Sing Me to Heaven, Daniel Gawthrop

Swifter Than Flame, Elaine Hagenberg

Reece Welliver

Saline High School

Sarah Deas, Director

Tyler Driskill, Collaborative Pianist

Marla Moore, Voice Teacher

Liebst du um Schönheit, Clara Schumann

Armor, William Bolcom

*Pictured with Cooper Bush and Evan Schlitt

Emily Ideson

Chelsea High School

Ken Davis, Director

Lester Castellana Collaborative Pianist

Megan Stetson, Voice Teacher

Langs ei a, Edvard Grieg

Poor Wand’ring One (from Pirates of Penzance), Gilbert and Sullivan

Cantare

Marquette Senior High School

Sheila Grazulis, Director

Frobisher Bay, James Gordon

Emoni Ennen, Sari Kaasinen

The CloverTones

Berrien Springs High School

Carrie VanDenburgh, Director

Aura Lee, Arr. Ralph Hunter, Alice Parker, and Robert Shaw

De Animals a-Comin’, Arr. Marshall Bartholomew

The Parting Glass, Sarah Quartel

Cooper Bush & Evan Schlitt

Saline High School

Sarah Deas, Director

Todd Schreiber, Collaborative Pianist

Marlene Inman, Voice Teacher

Lily’s Eyes, Lucy Simon, Arr. Michael Korarin

The River Between us, Andrew Lippa

*Pictured with Reese Welliver

Songleader Twelve

Portage Northern High School

Chelsea Whiteoak, Director

JJ Treadway, Collaborative Pianist

The Word was God, Rosephanye Powell

|Nau Maire, Cedrick Howoseb

With a Spark, Katerina Gimon

Reya Ghiardi

Musical Theatre

Marquette Senior High School

Sheila Grazulis, Director and Collaborative Pianist

Donna Poirier, Voice Teacher

Warm All Over, Frank Loesser

Ballad of Jane Doe, Emily Rohm

Elliot Steger

South Lyon East High School

Darel Middaugh, Director

Kate Autry, Collaborative Pianist

Christopher Knapp, Voice Teacher

What Do I Need With Love?, Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan

Mama, Look Sharp, Sherman Edwards

Earth Tones

Marquette Senior High School

Sheila Grazulis, Director

Blue Sky, Wei Ciu

Ergen Deda, Petar Londev

Jaxson Arecheja & Lydia Richards

Dundee Community High School

Megan Sinclair, Director

Todd Schreiber, Collaborative Pianist

Anything You Can Do, from Annie Get Your Gun

All the Wasted Time, from Parade

Vincent Brow

Portage Northern High School

Chelsea Whiteoak, Director

JJ Treadway, Collaborative Pianist

Elizabeth Stoner Cameron, Voice Teacher

She’s A Woman, from Kiss of The Spider Woman, John Kander

Grand Knowing You, from She Loves Me, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick

Chamber

Marquette Senior High School

Sheila Grazulis, Director

Father Thunder, Laura Jekabsone

Earth Song, Frank Ticheli

Dies Irae, Michael Trotta

Caleb Savara

Rockford High School

Mandy Scott, Director & Collaborative Pianist

Jed Scott, Voice Teacher

Per la gloria d'adorarvi, Giovanni Battista Bononcini

Go, Lovely Rose, Roger Quilter

Kamryn Lowery-Sumlin

Big Rapids High School

Amy Schroeder, Director

Todd Schreiber, Collaborative Pianist

Micah Taylor, Voice Teacher

Sure On This Shining Night, Samuel Barber

Il bacio, Luigi Arditi

TrebleMakers

Northville High School

Beth Richert, Director

Down by the Riverside, Traditional, Arr. Kirby Shaw

Even When He is Silent, Kim Andre Arnesen

Reya Ghiardi

Traditional

Marquette High School

Sheila Grazulis, Director & Collaborative Pianist

Donna Poirier, Voice Teacher

Du Bist Die Ruh, Franza Schubert

Les oiseaux dans la charmille, Jacques Offenbach

Bluebirds

Lakeland High School

Jeff Nelson, Director

Kate Autry, Collaborative Pianist

Sea Fever, Daniel Brinsmead

Videntes Stellam, Jeff Nelson

Turlutte acadienne montrealaise, Marie-Claire Saindon

2026 All-State High School Honors Choir Concert

Saturday, May 9

3 PM

The 2026 All-State High School Honors Choir had an opportunity to speak to esteemed composer Stacey Gibbs about his piece “Ride Up In De Chariot” and perform for him. This was an exceptional master class led by one of the leading Black composers of our time. A special recognition goes to soloist Olivia McIntosh who represented herself and her school, Avondale High School, brilliantly!

Before their performance, Secretary Jocelyn Benson spoke to these outstanding choral students about the difference they make in our world.  “Music is healing. Music is inspiring. Music teaches us and gives us a vision of who we want to be.”  We are so grateful to Secretary Benson for being able to make the time to visit.

Non Nobis Domine, Rosephanye Powell

Lacrimosa, W.A. Mozart/ed. Cameron LaBarr

TaReKiTa, Reena Esmail

Sleep, Eric Whitacre

Ride Up in the Chariot, arr. Stacey V. Gibbs

Dream Song, Sean Ivory

Dr. Amanda Quist, Director

All-State Honors Choir

Dr. Tina Gorter, Collaborative Pianist

All-State Honors Choir

Click here for 2026 All-State Festival Program