Decorah High School music students do well at contest

It was another banner day Saturday for the entire Decorah HS Music Department at the annual State Solo and Ensemble Festival at Crestwood High School in Cresco.  Each of the ten judges at the festival was allowed to present one "Best of Center" award for the performance they deemed to be the most superior of the day--and 8 of those 10 "Best of Center" awards went to DHS musicians.  

Receiving "Best of Center" awards (and perfect ballots) were senior flute soloist Kasi Misseldine; senior bari saxophone soloist Ingrid Rotto; the Flute Quintet of Kasi Misseldine, Blaire Shaffer, Kilah Hemseath, Clara Kittelson and Laura Francois; sophomore violin soloist Lucas Blekeberg; the Bass Quintet of Michael Eastwood, Erica Bjelland, Christian Pearson, Eric Fulsaas and Lucas Greisheimer; soprano soloist Sarah Hammel (her third year in a row for the honor); a vocal duet by Sarah Hammel and Allison Kephart; and a vocal trio of Lindsey Bohr, Allison Kephart and Allison Fretheim.

Also receiving perfect ballots were senior flute soloist Blaire Shaffer; junior violinists Elizabeth Shroyer, Jonathon Winter and Parker Beard; junior cellist Carolina Deifelt-Steese; the Violin Quartet of Jonathon Winter, Lucas Blekeberg, Elizabeth Shroyer and Danielle Fulsaas; the String Octet of Jonathon Winter, Lucas Blekeberg, Elizabeth Shroyer, Lindsey Bohr, Emma Breitenstein, Sarah Horns, Madi Johansen and Michael Eastwood; senior alto soloists Allison Fretheim and Allison Kephart; freshman alto soloist Rita-Marie Guzman; the Madrigal Singers, and the VC Men's Trio of Michael Peter, Drew Schwartz and James Ostlie.

62 Decorah High School soloists received Division I Ratings:
Flute: Kasi Misseldine, Blaire Shaffer, Kilah Hemsath, Clara Kittelson
Oboe: Alison Gomersall, Emily Markee
Bassoon: Claire Breitenstein
Clarinet: Matt Sullivan
Alto Saxophone: Jay  Lee
Tenor Saxophone: Bianca Wilbur, Kyle Hove
Bari Saxophone: Ingrid Rotto
Trumpet: Tanner Tjossem, Patrick Larson, Kaitlyn Yahr, Alex Bishop
French Horn: Jon Knudson
Trombone: Colin Zidlicky
Tuba: Nathan Lee
Snare Drum: Chance Beard
Violin:  Elizabeth Shroyer, Parker Beard, Lucas Blekeberg, Jonathon Winter, Lindsey Bohr, Emily Alcock, Danielle Fulsaas, Ben Bernatz, Aubrey Ellickson, Hannah Leeper, Axel Snow
Viola: Emma Breitenstein
Cello: Carolina Deifelt-Streese, Rebecca Alcock, Rose Reed-Maxfield, Madi Johansen, Drew Schwartz, Devon Hovey
Bass: Michael Eastwood, Lucas Greisheimer, Eric Fulsaas
Soprano: Sarah Brandt, Claire Breitenstein, Haim Estrada, Sarah Hammel, Hannah Leeper, Isabela Rosales
Alto: Lindsey Bohr, Carolina Deifelt-Streese, Allison Fretheim, Rita-Marie Guzman, Allison Kephart, Kasi Misseldine
Tenor: Gabriel Smith, John Werner, Jonathon Winter, Colin Zidlicky
Bass: Michael Eastwood, Bjorn Gowdy-Jaehnig, Hans Holkesvik, Aaron Kvale, Drew Schwartz

50 Decorah High School ensembles also received Division I ratings:
Flute Quintet (Misseldine, Shaffer, Hemesath, Kittelson, Francois)
Bassoon Trio (C. Breitenstein, Rattenborg, Nesteby)
Clarinet Duet (Kirkeby, Olson-Darling)
Saxophone Trio (Thornton, Arend, Lonning)
Woodwind Quintet (Varney, Peterson, Markee, DeVore, C. Breitenstein)
Flute Choir, Clarinet Choir, Saxophone Choir, Brass Choir, Percussion Choir
String Octet (J. Winter, Blekeberg, Shroyer, Bohr, E. Breitenstein, Horns, Johansen, Eastwood)
Bass Quintet (Eastwood, Bjelland, Pearson, E. Fulsaas, Greisheimer)
Violin Quartet (J. Winter, Blekeberg, Shroyer, D. Fulsaas)
String Trio (S. Beard, Snow, Eastwood)
String Quartets (Bohr, Shroyer, E. Breitenstein, Johansen; Leeper, Hayes, Pierce and C. Deifelt-Streese; Ellickson, E. Alcock, Horns, D. Schwartz )
Cello Duets (C. Deifelt-Streese and Werner; Johansen and Reed-Maxfield)
Cello/Bass Duet (Faldet, Bjelland)
Violin/Cello Duets (E. and R. Alcock; P. Beard and D. Hovey;  Krieg and H. Bernatz; Bohr and Johansen )
Violin Duets (Taylor and Stock; D. Fulsaas and B. Bernatz; Ellickson and Guzman), Vocal Duets (A. Fretheim and Knudson; Hammel and A. Kephart; K. Misseldine and G. Smith; C. Breitenstein and Ostlie; M. Locke and Kelly; Krieg and D. Schwartz; Suhr and Vande Krol)
Madrigal Singers (Brandt, C. Breitenstein, Hammel, Ida Rotto, Bohr, A. Fretheim, A. Kephart, K. Misseldine, Blekeberg, I. Mertzenich, Smith, J. Winter, Eastwood, Knudson, A. Kvale, & Snow)
CC Chamber Singers, CC Chamber Choir, VC Chamber Choir, Ninth Grade Chamber Choir
CC Women's Trio (Bohr, A. Fretheim, A. Kephart)
CC Women's 8 (Ritner, Rosales, Brandt, Hammel, A. Fretheim, A. Kephart, E. Breitenstein, and K. Misseldine)
CC Men's 12 (Hendricks, A. Larson, C. Michel, Henriquez, Montana McCabe, Zidlicky, N. Lee, N. Nelson, Tjossem, S. Beard, Gowdy-Jaehnig and T. Locke)
9th Grade Women's 7 (A. Hove, Spencer-Berg, Hayes, Kittleson, M. Mertzenich, Galligan and Guzman)
CC Women's 7 (Belay, Shroyer, Bjelland, Hovey, Svestka, Faldet, and Olson)
CC Mixed Quartet (Hammel, A. Kephart, G. Smith and T. Locke)
VC Women's 12 (C. Breitenstein, Henry, Krieg, Hudson, Leeper, Madrigal, Ellickson, K. Larsen, Peterson, K. Fretheim, Lane, and Kelly)
CC Women's 6 (Estrada, Ulring, M. Holkesvik, Yahr, J. Hoyme, and C. Deifelt-Streese), VC Men's Trio (Peter, D. Schwartz and Ostlie)
9th/10th Men's 8 (Suhr, Vande Krol, T. J. Misseldine, Taylor, H. Holkesvik, J. Lee, DeVore, and J. Kvale)
CC Men's 8 (P. Beard, G. Smith, I. Mertzenich, Werner, Knudson, Snow, Eastwood, and Samuelson).

Division II Ratings:

Solos (56):
Flute: Kayla Bakken
Oboe: Gabriel Smith
Clarinet: Addie Hansen, Ashley Peterson, Katie Ott, Mindy Kirkeby, Kelli Minear
Alto Sax: Josh Lee
Bari Sax Colin Zidlicky
Trumpet: Maggie Locke
French Horn:  Alli Kephart, Tim DeVore Paul Sullivan, Hannah Hougen
Tuba: Hans Holkesvik, Garret Minear
Snare: Thomas Locke, Jacob Kvale, Mitch Burggraf, Maria Mertzenich, TJ Misseldine Violin: Lydia Hayes, Sam Beard, Rita Marie Guzman
Viola: Sarah Horns
Cello: Elizabeth Hovden, Rachel Haindfield, Hannah Bernatz
Bass: Christian Pearson, Erica Bjelland
Soprano: Erica Bjelland, Jenny Henry, Annalise Johnson, Aidan Spencer-Berg, Liv Ulring
Alto: Aubrey Ellickson, Pearl Faldet, Lydia Hayes, Kylie Kozelka, Johanna Olson, Kayla Peterson, Alison Schwartzhoff
Tenor: Lucas Blekeberg, Scotty Hendricks, Isaac Mertzenich, T. J. Misseldine, Brad Suhr, Nick Vande Krol
Bass: Tim DeVore, Sam Iverson, Noah Klammer, Jonathan Knudson, Jacob Kvale, Kaleb Michel, Axel Snow, Sean Trewin.

Ensembles (26)
Oboe Quartet (Gomersall, Galligan, Katie Whitehill, Markee)
Clarinet Trio (Hansen, Zidlicky, T. Flak)
Brass Choir
Brass Quintet (Tjossem, M. Iverson, Knudson,  Zidlicky, N. Lee)
Trombone Trio (Madrigal, Kelly, P. Kephart)
Mallet Duet (Dambek, Drow)
Snare Duet (C. Beard, T. Locke)
Percussion Trio (J. Kvale, Burggraf, Gowdy-Jaehnig)
Viola Duet (E. Breitenstein, Maher)
Viola/Bassoon Duet (E. and C. Breitenstein)
String Quartet (R. Samuelson, Estrada, Kemp, A. Kvale)
Chamber Orchestra
Violin/Cello Duets (A. Fretheim and Davidson, Sparrow and Good)
Bass Duet (Pearson and E. Fulsaas)
Vocal Duets (P. and S. Beard; Olson and T. Locke; Estrada and A. Kvale; Krieg and Madrigal; A. Hove and Johnson)
CC Women's 4 (Ida Rotto, Ingrid Rotto, Reed-Maxfield and K. Misseldine)
VC Women's 12 (H. Bernatz, Grimm, Ihde, Gullekson, Markee, Katie Whitehill, Tappe, Varney, Kinsey Whitehill, Canoy, Jensen, and Ramberg)
VC Men's 9 (Knobbe, Miller, D. Schwartz, Dale, P. Kephart, Peter, A. Bishop, Klammer and P. Sullivan)