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SFA Music Prep students named to All-State and All-Region orchestras
Sylvia Bierschenk - December 5, 2007
String students from the Stephen F. Austin State University Music Preparatory Division recently auditioned for the Region 4 and 21 orchestras. Eleven of the students were placed in either the High School or Middle School All-Region Orchestra, and Parker Andrews, pictured in the back row, far right, was named to the All-State Philharmonic Orchestra. Pictured with Parker on the back row, from left, are: Payton Andrews, Paige Fuselier, Derrek Christian and Drew Alders; front row, Sam Alders, Miranda Kunk, Rebecca Hooper, Gracie Milem and Kelsey Kunk.
Parker Andrews, son of Reese and Carolyn Andrews of Nacogdoches, will be playing first violin in the All-State Philharmonic Orchestra at the Texas Music Educators Convention in San Antonio in February.
He is one of only 100 violin students from the entire state of Texas to be selected for the three All-State Orchestras.
"To my knowledge, Parker is the first violinist from Nacogdoches to achieve this honor," said his violin instructor Jennifer Dalmas. "It is quite an accomplishment!"
Andrews, 16, has been studying violin for 11 years through the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music's Music Preparatory Division. At the age of 5 he began taking Suzuki violin with Brenda Josephsen and has been studying with Dalmas since 2003.
A preliminary step to the All-State auditions is the competition for placement in the state's various All-Region orchestras. In November, 13 students from the music preparatory division auditioned for the Region 4 and 21 orchestras, including cellists Drew Alders and Kelsey Kunk.
Four violinists, all students of Dalmas, were assigned the following chairs in the High School All-Region Orchestra: Parker Andrews, second chair; Morgan Cook, third chair; Rebecca Russell, seventh chair; and Paige Fuselier, 32nd chair.
Violist Derek Christian, student of Brenda Josephsen, also made seventh chair in the high school orchestra.
Three other students of Josephsen were named to the All-Region Middle School Orchestra. Violinists Gracie Milem and Rebecca Hooper made fifth and tenth chair, respectively, and violist Sam Alders made second chair.
Dalmas' students named to the middle school orchestra include violinists Payton Andrews and Miranda Kunk who made second and ninth chairs, respectively.
Cellist Gentry Fielder, who studies under Evgeni Raychev, made first chair in the middle school orchestra.
The All-Region Orchestras will present concerts at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26, at Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler. The All-State Philharmonic Orchestra will perform at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, in San Antonio.
The Music Preparatory Division offers group and private lessons in Suzuki violin or viola for ages 3 and up and private instruction in traditional violin, viola and cello for ages 7 and up.
Middle and high school string students may also participate in the Piney Woods Youth Orchestra, which was founded in 2004 by Raychev and Dalmas.
For information on the string program or any other musical instruction offered through the SFA Music Preparatory Division, e-mail Pat Barnett, division director, at pbarnett@sfasu.edu or call her at (936) 468-1291.