Keystone Oaks School District

The 2024-2025 school year was one for the Keystone Oaks Music Department’s history books!  

Senior Nadia Dojcak became the first Keystone Oaks students to perform as part of the National Association for Music Education’s Eastern Division All-Eastern Honors Mixed Choir Ensemble. Following an audition during the PMEA All-State Chorus Festival, Nadia was one of 189 vocalists from 12 states to be selected for this prestigious ensemble. She performed in late April at The Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford, Connecticut. 

In March, Nadia performed at the Region 1 Chorus Festival at Waynesburg University. The chorus was under the direction of Daniel Singer, Music Director of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. In February, she performed at the District 1 Chorus Festival, which was under the direction of Dr. Amy Voorhees, Director of Choral activities at Susquehanna University. 

Junior Kada Lamonde became the first Keystone Oaks student to be selected to perform in the Western Region Orchestra Festival; she was one of 12 violinists from the region to be selected for this ensemble, placing her in the top 100 violin players in Pennsylvania for the 2024-2025 school year! In February, Kada performed at the Richland High School Performing Arts Center in Johnstown, PA, under the direction of film, tv, and video game composer Mr. Chris Thomas. 

Nadia and Kada were among 27 Keystone Oaks Middle School and High School students who performed in 12 different PMEA music festivals this school year. 

Following a series of rigorous auditions at the district and region levels, two seniors earned chairs to perform as part of the prestigious PMEA All-State Music Festival. Senior alto vocalist Nadia Dojcak performing in the All State Chorus Festival and senior clarinet player Bianka Guerra Naranjo performing in the All State Concert Band Festival, placing them among the best high school musicians in Pennsylvania. 

In January, Junior violinist Kada Lamonde, junior bassist Kate Moore, and sophomore French horn player Andreh De La Torre performed as part of the PMEA District 1 Senior High Orchestra Festival. The festival was under the direction of Dr. Christopher M. Cicconi, Director of Bands and Professor of Wind Conducting at James Madison University. 

In November, senior clarinet player Bianka Guerra Naranjo and sophomore French horn player Andreh De La Torre performed as part of the PMEA District 1 Honors Band Festival. The band was under the direction of Dr. Tonya Mitchell-Spradlin, Director of Wind Band Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at Pennsylvania State University. 

In January, Senior clarinet player Bianka Guerra Naranjo, senior bass clarinet player Rayna Groves, junior bassoonist Lucy Brooke, junior trombone player Cailyn Lockhart, and sophomore French horn player Andreh De La Torre performed as part of the PMEA District 1 West Band Festival. The band was under the direction of Dr. Cheldon Williams, Associate Director of Band and the Director of Athletic Bands at West Virginia University. 

Based on their successful auditions, Bianka and Lucy were selected to perform as part of the PMEA Region 1 Band Festival in March. They performed with 150 students throughout western Pennsylvania under the direction of Col. Michael J. Colburn (USMC, Ret.), who served as the 27th director of the President’s Own United States Marine Band. 

At the end of February, Keystone Oaks hosted the PMEA Junior High Chorus Festival, which featured 130 students from 60 southwestern Pennsylvania schools and included eight Keystone Oaks students - 7th graders Jordyn Green, Phoebe Auses, Iris Brownlee and Oliver Rent; 8th graders Amelia Dulaney and Lucy Gibson; and 9th graders Sophia Miller and Lor Dalrymple. 

The festival was under the direction of renowned composer Victor C. Johnson, who serves as the conductor of the Dallas Symphony Children’s Chorus Mixed Ensemble and resident for the children’s choir for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Also in February, sixth graders Sebastian Wadowsky and Eva Sachs performed as part of PMEA Sing Fest at Plum High School under the direction of Dr. Mark Boyle, Director of Choir and Vocal Activities at Seton Hill University. 

In April, nine students participated in the Jr. High Orchestra Festival at Gateway High School. The concert was under the direction of Mr. Patrick Forsyth, conductor of the Sinfonia at Seton Hill University and Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (PYPO).

8th Grade – Roslyn Gruber – Violin
8th Grade – Erin Ellenberger – Flute
9th Grade – Geneva Deimel – Flute
9th Grade – Sophia Mae Winchel – Clarinet
9th Grade – Martina Lenox – Clarinet
9th Grade – Medeline Reyes - Clarinet
9th Grade – Elianna Hubinsky – Bass Clarinet
9th Grade – Valeria Hernandez-Perez – Trombone
9th Grade – Julien Auses – Tuba

In February, 6th grade violinist Pennie Bowlin performed in the Elementary String Fest at Plum Borough School District, under the direction of Dr. Melinda Crawford, professor of music at Westminster College. 

Congratulations to all of the students and to their teachers - Mrs. Carol Smith, Mr. Richard Smith, and Mr. Bill Eibeck - on a successful school year!