Decorah HS musical groups do well at contest

Members of the DHS Chamber Choir Bass Clef included: (Front row, left to right): Lukas Phillips, Anthony Sherman, Joshua Lee and Dylan Henning. (Back row, left to right): Brad Suhr, Paul Sullivan, Noah Klammer and Cole Svestka. (Photo by Clara Knudson)

Decorah High School music students did well at the annual State Solo and Ensemble Festival.

Each judge was allowed to present one "Best of Center" award for the performance they deemed to be the most superior of the day. There were ten judges overall in the vocal, orchestra and band categories. Of those ten "Best of Center" awards, six of them went to DHS musicians.  

Receiving "Best of Center" awards were Mitch Burggraf for a snare drum solo; Amanda Taylor and Senia Sikkink for a flute duet; the DHS Chamber Singers (second year in a row); Men's Trio of Michael Peter, Drew Schwartz and James Ostlie (second year in a row); and Lucas Blekeberg for a violin solo (third year in a row)

Receiving a perfect ballot were Mitch Burggraf for his snare drum solo; Amanda Taylor and Senia Sikkink for their flute duet; the Madrigal Singers; the Sophomore Men's 11; the Concert Choir; the Men's 9; Hannah Leeper for a soprano solo; Lucas Blekeberg for a violin solo; Emily Alcock for a violin solo; Eric Fulsaas for a string bass solo; and Trevor Phillips for a string bass solo.

Students receive one of five divisional ratings for their performance: Division I "Superior" rating, Division II "Excellent" rating, Division III "Good" rating, Division IV "Fair" rating, and Division V "Poor" rating. The ratings are based on a point scale.

Division I ratings:

Solos (73)
--Flute: Briana Burke, Clara Kittelson, Hayley Miller, Senia Sikkink, Amanda Taylor, Shelby Varney
--Oboe: Brenna Herrmann
--Bassoon: Claire Breitenstein
--Clarinet: Anna Kane, Kelly Minear
--Trumpet: Maddy Ihde, Patrick Larson, Tyler Lubke, Emily Miller
--Euphonium: Fred Paulson
--Tuba: Hans Holkesvik, Ethan Leeper, Fred Paulson
--Snare Drum: Mitch Burggraf, Jacob Kvale, Maria Mertzenich, T.J. Misseldine, Jacob Hrdlicka, Reid Drenth, Brian Willie
--Mallets: Reid Drenth, Talia Raddatz
--Violin: Blake Taylor, Lucas Blekeberg, Emily Alcock, Aubrey Ellickson, Andrew Larson, Katie Perez, Lydia Hayes
--Viola: Gabby Bruns
--Cello: Drew Schwartz, Rebecca Alcock, Katelyn Yee, Timothy Winter
--String Bass: Trevor Phillips, Lucas Griesheimer, Eric Fulsaas
--Soprano: Claire Breitenstein, Brenna Herrmann, Alexis Hove, Annika Krieg, Bretta Krieg, Hannah Leeper, Gara Lonning, McKenzie Snyder, Aidan Spencer, Ali Voigt
--Alto: Autumn DeLong, Aubrey Ellickson, Rita-Marie Guzman, Linnea Kephart
--Tenor: Lucas Blekeberg, Parker Fretheim, Loden Henning, Gable Lonning, T.J. Misseldine, Sean Trewin, Nick Vande Krol
--Bass: Connor Freeman, Hans Holkesvik, Adam Knight, Caleb Kvale, Jacob Kvale, Kaleb Michel, James Ostlie, Trevor Phillips, Andrew Sorenson, Tim Winter.

Ensembles (64)
--Flute Duet: (A. Taylor and Sikkink)
--Flute Sextet: (Burke, Kittelson, Munkel, Sikkink, A. Taylor, Varney)
--Bassoon Trio (C. Breitenstein, Gomersall, Nesteby)
--Woodwind Q5: (Taylor, Herrmann, Kane, Yahr, Gomersall)
--Mixed Instrument Duos: (C. Breitenstein and Paulson, B. Taylor and A. Taylor, Kittelson and Hayes, Munkel and Alcock)
--Sax Trio: (Gentry, Lee, Hove)
--Sax Quartet: (Gentry, J. Lee, Marquardt, Hove)
--Trumpet Duet: (Larson and Bishop; Ihde and Miller)
--Brass Quintet: (Larson, Bishop, P. Sullivan, Winter, H. Holkesvik)
--French Horn Sextet: (DeVore, P. Sullivan, Hougen, Yahr, Suhr, Greco)
--Snare Duet: (Burggraf and Misseldine)
--Mallet Duet: (Foster and Sorenson)
--Mixed Percussion Trio: (J. Kvale, Burggraf, Sorenson)
--Mixed Percussion Quartet: (Drenth, Hrdlicka, Willie, Eide)
--Mixed Percussion Quintet: (J. Kvale, Burggraf, Mertzenich, L. Kephart, Misseldine)
--Flute Choir
--Clarinet Choir
--Saxophone Choir
--Low Brass Choir
--Percussion Choir A
--Percussion Choir B
--String Quartets (Larson, Cropp, Gable Lonning, Baldwin; Lucas Blekeberg, Ellickson, Horns, Schwartz)
--String Quintet (Ellickson, E. Alcock, Horns, Schwartz, Fulsaas)
--Violin Quartets (P. Stock, Smedsrud, Wickham, Baumler; Lucas Blekeber, Ellickson, E. Alcock, Ulring)
--Viola Quartet (Horns, Bruns, Ellickson, E. Alcock)
--Cello Quartet (Grimm, Iverson, Good, Leah Blekeberg)
--String Trio (Lucas Blekeberg, Schwartz, Fulsaas)
--String and Wind Duets (B. and A. Taylor, Kittleson and Hayes, Munkel and R. Alcock)
--String Duets (Perez and Yee, B. Taylor and J. Stock, Kozelka and H. Leeper, Ulring and Baldwin)
--Freshmen Chamber Orchestra
--Vocal Duets: (B. Krieg and Locke, C. Breitenstein and Ostlie, B. Krieg and Schwartz, Spencer and R. Guzman, Spencer and H. Leeper, Suhr and N. Vande Krol, Bretta and Annika Krieg, K. Peterson and N. Vande Krol, Locke and Suhr, DeVore and Schwartz, Larsen and K. Peterson, Gara and Gable Lonning, A. Krieg and Carlson, A. Voigt and M. Breitenstein)
--Madrigal Singers (C. Breitenstein, B. Krieg, H. Leeper, Spencer, Ellickson, R. Guzman, L. Kephart, K. Peterson, Lucas Blekeberg, Gable Lonning, Suhr, N. Vande Krol, DeVore, Schwartz, Sorenson, B. Taylor)
--CC Chamber Singers
--CC Chamber Chorale
--Ninth Grade Chamber Choir
--Mixed Quartet (H. Leeper, Locke, Suhr, Sorenson)
--Mixed Quartet (Spencer, R. Guzman, N. Vande Krol, Michel)
--Women's Trio (B. Krieg, C. Breitenstein, Grimm)
--CC Women's 9 (B. Krieg, C. Breitenstein, Larsen, H. Leeper, Ellickson, Hudson, Ingvalson, K. Peterson, Lane)
--CC Women's 12 (Morgan Ihde, Grimm, Minear, Madrigal, Katie Whitehill, Kinsey Whitehill, Canoy, Bernatz, Vilardo, A. Johnson, Alison Schwartzhoff, Kelly)
--Men's Trio (Peter, Schwartz, Ostlie)
--Men's Quartet (Suhr, N. Vande Krol, Schwartz, Sorenson)
--CC Men's 9 (Suhr, Misseldine, N. Vande Krol, Trewin, DeVore, H. Holkesvik, Michel, J. Kvale, Sorenson)
--CC Men's 8 (L. Phillips, D. Henning, Suhr, Lee, Svestka, Sherman, P. Sullivan, N. Klammer)
--VC Men's 11 (Gable Lonning, Fretheim, Hageman, S. Holkesvik, Pool, Heffern, Yahr, Reese Drenth, Reid Drenth, C. Kvale, Dostal)
--VC Men's 9 (Foster, Gable Lonning, Hageman, Knight, Baldwin, P. Fadness, Cropp, Freeman, Reese Drenth)
--Ninth Grade Women's 9 (A. Krieg, Annika Wahlberg, A. Voigt, Yee, M. Breitenstein, Carlson, DeLong, Womeldorf, Davidson)

Division II Ratings:

Solos (54)
--Flute: Skye Kelley
--Bassoon: Emily Gomersall
--Clarinet: Katie Ott, Ashley Peterson, Kellie Sharp, Miles Wilki
--Saxophone: Isaac Marquardt, MaKenzie Wieseler, Wyatt Anderson
--Trumpet: Alex Bishop
--French Horn:  Hannah Hougen, Will Yahr
--Trombone: Emma Dambek, Lukas Phillips
--Tuba: Patrick Murphy, Karl Sand
--Snare Drum: Linnea Kephart, Micheal Foster, Matt Schissel, Drew Sullivan, Jonah Pankow
--Mallets: Andrew Sorenson, Matt Schissel, Drew Sullivan
--Violin: Catherine Trumble, Rachel Dougan, Ali Voigt
--Viola: Sarah Horns
--Cello: Maria McDonough, Leah Blekeberg
--Soprano: Emily Gomersall, Jada Vanden Brink, Corinna Voigt, Annika Wahlberg, Katelyn Yee
--Alto: Linnea Carlson, Naomi Davidson, Leah Davis, Hannah Donaldson, Laurel Fadness, Lydia Hayes, Annalise Johnson, Skye Kelley, Kayla Peterson
--Tenor: Micheal Foster, Ryan Hageman, Andrew Larson, Forde Nesteby, Esteban Pena Bass: Garret Baumler, Reese Drenth, Anthony Sherman, Drew Sullivan, Blake Taylor

Ensembles (35)
--Flute Duet (Kittelson and Varney)
--Clarinet Duet (Franzen and Solberg)
--Oboe Trio (Deifelt-Streese, Herrmann, Regan)
--Mixed Instrument Duet (Burke and Sparrow)
--Woodwind Trio (Miller, Burke, Sharp)
--Sax Trio (Doyle, Gulrud, Schwartzhoff)
--Trumpet Trio (Bruneau, Miller, Ihde)
--Brass Quintet (Iversen, Phillips, Dambek, Bruns, Greco)
--Brass Quartet (Lubke, Ihde, Yahr, Dambke)
--Trombone Quartet (Madrigal, Kelly, P. Kephart, Hovey)
--Mallet Duet (Dambek, Drow)
--Mallet Trio (L. Kephart, Mertzenich, Raddatz)
--Trumpet Choir
--Trombone Choir
--String Quartet (Voigt, Donaldson, Fretheim, Carbonell)
--String Trios (B. Krieg, Peterson, Grimm; Hayes, Dougan, Swanson)
--String/Wind Duet (Sparrow, Burke)
--String Duets (T. Winter, Leah Blekeberg; R. and E. Alcock; McDonough, R. Alcock; Gossling, DeLong; Trumble, Cropp)
--Sophomore Chamber Orchestra
--4th Hour Chamber Orchestra
--Vocal Duets (Mertzenich and Alison Schwartzhoff; Canoy and DeVore )
--VC Chamber Choir
--CC Chamber Choir
--CC Women's 7 (Spencer, Hove, Hayes, Kittleson, Mertzenich, Galligan, R. Guzman)
--CC Men's 8 (Gossman, Imoehl, Nesteby, P. Larson, J. Miller, Knobbe, Bishop, B. Taylor)
--VC Women's 11 (Haars, E. Miller, Maddy Ihde, Davis, Prast, J. Zidlicky, G. Bruns, C. Bruns, A. Vande Krol, Green, Swanson)
--VC Women's 11 (Nelson, Bruening, Halse, Beierle, Hoyme, Sharp, Kelley, Herrmann, Gulleckson, Leah Blekeberg, Donaldson)
--Ninth Grade Women's 8 (Vanden Brink, Andrusishan, Bollman, Klotzbach, A. Kozelka, T. Schuring, L. Guzman, Ashley Schwartzhoff)
--Ninth Grade Men's 12 (Knoke, Pena, L. Henning, Pankow, A. Larson, Watson, T. Phillips, Baumler, Wickham, D. Sullivan, Carbonell, Smedsrud)