Great Falls Public Schools is hosting the AA Orchestra Festival at 6 p.m. Feb. 6 in the C.M. Russell auditorium.

There is no cost for admission.

Featured orchestras this year are the Chamber Orchestras from CMR with Steve Olson directing; the Great Falls High School Chamber Orchestra with Elizabeth Quinby directing; and the Billings Senior High School Philharmonic with Richele Sitton directing.

The three orchestras will combine for one mass orchestra and rehearse with guest conductor Dr. Kevin Hekmatpanah of Gonzaga University for two days and present their combined program plus selections from the individual orchestras.

For more information, call the GFPS Music and Art Department at 406-268-6079.

—————-

Great Falls Public Schools choral singers participated in the Northwest American Choral Directors Association Honors Choir in Spokane, Wash. on Jan. 27.

Thirty-nine GFPS students were selected from applications from Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, according to Dusty Molyneaux, GFPS music and art supervisor.

Being selected for these honor choirs is a testament to the hard work of the students, their choir directors, and the private teachers in Great Falls,” Molyneaux said.

The GFPS choral teachers are Jordan Lee and Logan Kropp at CMR; and Patrick Ryan and Emily Schauer at GFHS.

They performed in Spokane on Jan. 27 under the direction of some of the best choral music educators in the county, according to Molyneaux.

Conductors this year were:

• Dr. Jonathan Talberg: 11-12th grade SA choir
• Dr. Jace Saplan: 9-10th grade SATB choir
• Dr. Rosephayne Powell: 11-12th grade TB choir

Selected GFHS students:

• Ava Fossen
• Emily Fleming
• Emma Gammill
• Grace Woldtvedt
• Hannah Hill
• Morgan Anderson
• Morigan Young
• Nikayla Hopper
• Alaura Perez
• Margot Neilson
• Seth Woldtvedt
• Boyd Benjamin
• Brayden Taylor
• Caleb Litzinger
• Carson Polacek
• Chase Erickson
• Edward Boland
• Gabe Zech
• Garret Newman
• Grayson Kiser
• Israel Swanson
• Jackson Bautista
• Kian Ryan
• Tyler Benjamin

Selected CMR students:

• Elizabeth Barnes
• Julia Bushard
• Heidi Clifton
• Nora McKelvey
• Sofia Molyneaux
• Cameron Gimenez Fisher
• Leighton Larsen
• Garret Bodily
• Rory Castriz
• John Craw
• Landon Crook
• Jack Orthman
• Joshua Schultz
• Joshua Shettel
• Cole Stuart