DURHAM – The Oyster River Cooperative School District is pleased to share that 10 Oyster River High School students performed in the New Hampshire Music Educators Association Classical All-State Festival.

The students showcased their talents in the annual festival, held in Concord on March 30 and April 1. Students, under the guidance of Oyster River strings teacher Andrea von Oeyen and music teacher Marc LaForce were selected following statewide auditions in November.

Oyster River students who performed were:

Grade 12: Mary Jeong (violin), Shashu Srivatsan (viola), and Siddhu Srivatsan (viola)

Grade 11: Micah Bessette (tenor voice), Courtney Giroux (piccolo), Ella Higginson, (oboe), and Peter Wierda (double bass)

Grade 10: Cole Norris (violin), and Elena Pavlik (violin)

Grade 9: Issac Williams (viola)

Bessette performed in the mixed choir. Other students performed in the festival orchestra, directed by Ann Danis, Professor Emeritus of Music and the former Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of Rhode Island.

“The whole experience of getting to practice and perform with musicians like me who are as equally passionate about music and having the opportunity to work with the wonderful Ann Danis is something I will always remember,” Higginson said. “An experience like this where high school students can play in a full symphony orchestra is a rare occurrence and one I absolutely loved every moment of. Reconnecting with old friends and making new ones made the whole festival even more special.”

"The students who represented ORCSD are but a sample of the incredible dedication all of our music students demonstrate daily," Superintendent James Morse said. "Incredible students, taught by an incredible staff, equals musical excellence."

NHMEA is a member of the National Association for Music Education, among the world’s largest arts education organizations and the voice of music education in the United States.