Going head to head among the best in the area on Saturday, Jan. 6 for the Texas Music Education Association (TMEA) All-State Choir, six students and one alternate secured a spot, setting a school record for the most choir students advancing. Students from varying high schools came together with hopes of becoming the top vocalists in the competition.
The TMEA All-State competition consists of four rounds: District, Region, Pre-Area, and finally Area. Competitors who advance through all four rounds and are chosen as top-performing vocalists earn a spot on the Texas All-State Choir.
Showcasing their unwavering dedication to choir, students diligently practiced their music since the start of the summer.
“We start preparing [the music] from June, all the way to January,” Jonathan Simon ’25 said. “I went to camps over the summer, I had voice lessons, a lot of practice at home, a lot of listening. Just long and steady growth with that repertoire has helped me refine the music for the audition.”
The atmosphere in the audition rooms was filled with anticipation as judges sat behind tarps and a music stand with excerpts of the songs shared, efficiently set for competitors to demonstrate their vocal skills to earn a spot on the Texas All-State Choir.
“Each round is kind of like a blind audition because even though you learn the whole song, you don’t know what part of it they’re gonna take,” Howell Wu ‘25 said.
The record of six students earning a spot in the All-State Choir has boosted the organization’s morale, bringing a wave of enthusiasm among members and high hopes for the choir’s future in competitions.
“I think that now that we see the potential, like the talent of our choir members, we want to work harder to maximize our potential,” Ryan Gu ‘26 said.
The TMEA All-State Choir performance will be held on Saturday, Feb. 10 in San Antonio, Texas.
Below is a list of qualifiers:
Mixed Choir
Jonathan Simon ’25
Ryan Gu ’26
Treble Choir
Kalia Wang ’26
Tenor/Bass Choir
Minsung Kim ‘25
Kritanko Chakraborty ‘25
Howell Wu ‘26
Allen Liu ’25 – (1st Alternate)
