Decorah HS students sweep awards at Solo & Ensemble Contest

(Left to right): The mixed woodwind quintet of Brenna Herrmann, Naomi Davidson, Will Yahr, Anna Kane and Emily Gomersall (Click on photos for larger images)(All photos by Clara Knudson)

Decorah High School musicians received 10 out of 10 "Outstanding Performance" awards at the State Solo and Ensemble Festival at Crestwood High School over the weekend.

Each judge is allowed to present one "Outstanding Performance" 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; each one awarded the "Outstanding Performance" to Decorah HS musicians.

Four Decorah vocal performances won "Outstanding Performance" awards: Linnea Kephart for her alto vocal solo; Adam Knight for his baritone vocal solo; Parker Fretheim and Adam Knight for their vocal duet; and the Senior Bass Clef 12 ensemble of Parker Fretheim, Ryan Hageman, Steven Holkesvik, Micheal Foster, Gable Lonning, Jacob Skold, Charlie Baldwin, Reese Drenth, Adam Knight, Tyler Dostal, Connor Freeman and Caleb Kvale.

Six Decorah instrumental performances won "Outstanding Performance" awards: Maddy Ihde for her trumpet solo; the saxophone quartet of Isaac Marquardt, Dalton Brown, Adam Knight and Jacob Skold; the brass quintet of Maddy Ihde, Tyler Lubke, Ervin Yahr III, Emma Dambek and Freddie Paulson; the percussion ensemble of Linnea Kephart, Talia Raddatz, Drew Sullivan, Jonah Pankow and Gabe Varney; Carina Yee for her violin solo; and Katelyn Yee for her cello solo.

At the Solo and Ensemble Festival students receive a rating for their performance: Division I "Superior" rating, Division II "Excellent" rating, Division III "Good" rating, Division IV "Fair" rating, Division V "Poor" rating. The ratings are based on a point scale.

Perfect scores:
Receiving a Perfect Score on their ballot were Charlie Baldwin – Piano Solo; Maggie Breitenstein – Alto Vocal Solo; Parker Fretheim – Tenor Vocal Solo; Adam Knight – Baritone Vocal Solo; Annika Krieg and Linnea Carlson – Vocal Duet; Parker Fretheim and Adam Knight – Vocal Duet; Parker Fretheim and Garret Baumler – Vocal Duet; Garret Baumler and Brianna Doyle – Vocal Duet; Linnea Kephart and Adam Knight – Vocal Duet; Concert Choir Chamber Choir; CC Chamber Singers; Viking Chorus Chamber Choir; CC Bass Clef 9; McKenzie Snyder, Linnea Kephart, Parker Fretheim and Adam Knight – Mixed Quartet; Senior Bass Clef 12; Amanda Taylor – Flute Solo; Saxophone Quartet – Isaac Marquardt, Dalton Brown, Adam Knight, Jacob Skold; Everett Wegge – Tenor Saxophone Solo; Katelyn Yee – Cello Solo.

Division I Ratings:
Solos (total: 57)
Flute: Amanda Taylor, Naomi Davidson, Senia Sikkink; Oboe: Brenna Herrmann, Indigo Fish; Clarinet: Anna Kane, Dalton Brown; Saxophone: Dalton Brown, Isaac Marquardt, Everett Wegge; Trumpet: Maddy Ihde, Emily Miller; French Horn: Ervin Yahr III; Euphonium: Meretta Peterson; Timpani Solo: Jenna Galligan, Micheal Foster; Snare Solo: Talia Raddatz, Michael Jones; Mallet: Drew Sullivan; Violin: Carina Yee, Janaye Lundtvedt, Ali Voigt; Viola: Gabrielle Bruns; Cello: Timothy Winter, Katelyn Yee; String Bass: Tyler Lubke, Trevor Phillips; Piano: Charlie Baldwin; Soprano: Autumn DeLong, Vita Domnenko, Indigo Fish, Brenna Herrmann, Kaylee Knight, Annika Krieg, McKenzie Snyder, Anna Townswick, Jada Vanden Brink, Ali Voigt, Katelyn Yee; Alto: Maggie Breitenstein, Linnea Carlson, Naomi Davidson, Laurel Fadness, Madelyn Jermier, Helen Johnson, Linnea Kephart, Emily Womeldorf; Tenor: Micheal Foster, Parker Fretheim, Ryan Hageman, Loden Henning, Gable Lonning; Bass: Tyler Dostal, Avery Dugger, Connor Freeman, Adam Knight, Everett Wegge.

Ensembles (total: 59)
Flute Duet Taylor and Sikkink; Flute Sextet (Taylor, Sikkink, Z. Hooper, Minear, Selig, & Davidson); Clarinet Duet Kane and Wilkie; Oboe Duet Herrmann and Fish; Saxophone Duet Brown and Doyle; Saxophone Quartet (I. Marquardt, Brown, A. Knight, Skold); Trumpet Duet: Yahr and H. Johnson, M. Ihde and E Miller; Tuba/Euph Duet F. Paulson and C. Bruns; Woodwind Quintet (Davidson, Herrmann, Kane, Yahr, Gomersall); Mixed Woodwind Trio (Minear, Fish, and Schwarz); Brass Quintet (M. Ihde, Lubke, Yahr, Dambek, F. Paulson); Trumpet Quintet (M. Ihde, Lubke, E. Miller, Bruneau, T. Peterson); Wind Ensemble Woodwind Choir; Saxophone Choir; Wind Ensemble Brass Choir; Trombone Choir; Percussion Ensemble (L. Kephart, Raddatz, D. Sullivan, Pankow, G. Varney), (Galligan and Reid Drenth), (L. Kephart, Hrdlicka, Eide), (L. Kephart, Raddatz, Hrdlicka, Reid Drenth, Foster); Violin/Cello Duets: Ulring and Baldwin, C. Yee and K. Yee; Chamber Orchestra 11; Chamber Orchestra 12; Vocal Duets: A. Krieg and Carlson, Fretheim and Baumler, Baumler and Doyle, L. Kephart and A. Knight, Fretheim and A. Knight, Voigt and Davidson, Townswick and Wegge, Shay and R. Weis, Snyder and L. Fadness, Voigt and Fretheim, Hrdlicka and Brown, DeLong and K. Yee, Swanson and Henning, A. Krieg and C. Krieg; Madrigal Singers; CC Chamber Singers; CC Chamber Chorale; CC Chamber Choir; VC Chamber Choir; Ninth Grade Chamber Choir; CC Bass Clef 9 (Baumler, Henning, Mincks, P. Fadness, T. Phillips, D. Sullivan, Klammer, Lubke, Wilkie); CC Bass Clef 9 (A. Larson, Pena, Hageman, Yahr, E. Carbonell, Cropp, Hrdlicka, R. Smedsrud, Leeper); Senior Bass Clef 12 (Fretheim, Hageman, S. Holkesvik, Foster, Gable Lonning, Skold, Baldwin, Reese Drenth, A. Knight, T. Dostal, C. Freeman, Kvale); CC Bass Clef 6 (Fretheim, S. Holkesvik, Reid Drenth, D. Schuring, Brown, Winter); VC Bass Clef 9 (Z. DeVore, M. DeVore, Wickham, McCain, E. Smedsrud, S. Weis, R. Weis, Leschensky, Wegge); VC Bass Clef 7 (Z. DeVore, M. DeVore, Brevig, McCain, Ott, Jones, Miculinich); CC Mixed Quartet (Snyder, L. Kephart, Fretheim, A. Knight); CC Bass Clef Quartet (Fretheim, Foster, A. Knight, C. Freeman); CC Treble Clef 9 (Olinger, Vanden Brink, E. Miller, L. Davis, Gara Lonning, Vande Krol, Donaldson, K. Johnson, Kozelka); CC Treble Clef 8 (M. Ihde, G. Cowie, Klotzbach, Swanson, L. Fadness, Shay, Doyle, Green); CC Treble Clef 12 (A. Krieg, Vanden Brink, Voigt, DeLong, Herrmann, Snyder, Breitenstein, Carlson, K. Yee, Davidson, L. Kephart, E. Womeldorf); CC Treble Clef 9 (Gomersall, Beierle, Voigt, Maguina, Kane, Kelley, Blekeberg, Guzman, Schwartzhoff); VC Treble Clef 12 (L. Ihde, Heffern, Fish, C. Cowie, Spencer, K. Peterson, Monteith, Iverson, Kellogg, White, Hudson, Jermier); Ninth Grade Treble Clef 9 (K. Knight, Ranum, G. Womeldorf, Simms, Sacquitne, T. Miller, M. Davis, Valkosky, de la Cruz).

Division II Ratings:
Solos (total: 72)
Piccolo: Rachel Selig; Flute: Rachelle Sullivan; Oboe: Abigail Toussaint; Clarinet: Miles Wilkie, Ashlynn Franzen; Saxophone: Ashley Schwartzhoff, Ashley Gulrud, Brianna Doyle; Trumpet: Richard Weis and Helen Johnson; Trombone Solo: Tyler Dostal, Ian Smith, Caleb Kvale, Emma Dambek; Tuba: Freddie Paulson, Karl Sand, Ethan Leeper, Tori Miller; Snare: Jackson Varney, Henrik Marquardt, Spencer Weis, Reid Drenth, Jonah Pankow, Brian Willie, Jacob Hrdlicka, Drew Sullivan, Jenna Galligan, Linnea Kephart, Micheal Foster; Mallet: Jenna Galligan; Timpani: McKinley Eide; Violin Solos: Nathan Larson, Vita Domnenko, Katie Perez, Andrew Larson, Hannah Donaldson, Garret Baumler, Robert Smedsrud; Viola Solos: Garret Baumler, Parker Fretheim; Cello Solos: James Paulson, Maxwell Sparrow, Maria McDonough, Chloe Gossling; Soprano: Anna Hanson, Tori Miller, Sonja Sacquitne, Abigail Toussaint, Carina Yee; Alto: Hannah Donaldson, Brianna Doyle, Jenna Galligan, Makinzie Monroe, Rylea Ranum, Shai Shay, Nina Stahr, Abby Trewin; Tenor: Garret Baumler, Michael DeVore, Zach DeVore, Steven Holkesvik, Andrew Larson, Nate Larson; Bass: Erick Fadness, Michael Jones, Ben Klammer, Caleb Kvale, Ben Leschensky, Trevor Phillips, Robert Smedsrud, Ian Smith, Miles Wilkie.

Ensembles (total: 51)
Clarinet Duet: Na and Murray, Rooney and E. Franzen, de la Cruz Hexom and Schwarz; Clarinet Quartet: A. Franzen, Solberg, Rooney, and E. Franzen; Saxophone Duet Kozelka and Schwartzhoff; Trumpet Duet R. Weis and T. Peterson; Trumpet Trio (M. Ihde, E. Miller, and Bruneau); French Horn Duet K. Thompson and Berger; French Horn Sextet (Yahr, Greco, Ott, Berger, K. Thompson, and Monroe); Tuba Duet F. Paulson and T. Miller; Tuba Trio (F. Paulson, Leeper, Sand); Mixed Brass Duet: M. Ihde and F. Paulson, Yahr and Lubke; Mixed Woodwind Duet: Gulrud and C. Olson, de la Cruz Hexom and R. Sullivan, Solberg and Krieg; Mixed Woodwind Quartet (Halse, Beierle, Reagan, and Dieschbourg), (Selig, Minear, Schwarz and Dahl); Mixed Instrument Duet M. Ihde and Herrmann; Flute Choir; Clarinet Choir, Symphonic Band Brass Choir, Symphonic Band Percussion Choir, Wind Ensemble Percussion Choir; Percussion Ensembles: (S. Weis, H. Marquardt, Mitchell, Keck), (Pankow, G. Varney, Shay, Lee), (Galligan, Fahey, J. Varney, Nesset, Fadness), (B. Willie, M Jones), (Galligan, S. Weis, H. Marquardt, Fahey and J. Varney); String Duets: Ulring and G. Bruns, DeLong and Gossling, Voigt and Blekeberg, McDonough and Blekeberg, Kleckner and Falck, Domenko and Klein-Jewett, Trewin and A. Carbonell; String Quartets: (Swanson, G. Cowie, Molly Hovden, Carlson), (Ulring, Cropp, Gable Lonning, Baldwin), (J. Lundtvedt, Domnenko, Sacquitne, Klein-Jewett); String Trio Perez, DeLong, Gossling; String Quintets: (A. Larson, Perez, G. Bruns, Winter and T. Phillips), (N. Larson, J. Phillips, Nottestad, J. Paulson, A. Dugger); Viola Choir: G. Bruns, Gable Lonning, Baumler, DeLong, Darling, Vanden Brink, Sacquitne, Kilarski, Fretheim and Robinson; Bass Quintet (T. Phillips, E. Carbonell, Lubke, Casterton and A. Dugger); Violin Quartet (Ulring, Perez, A. Larson and C. Yee); Tuba-Cello Duet J. Paulson and F. Paulson; Chamber Orchestra 9; Chamber Orchestra 10; Vocal Duets: Jermier and H. Johnson, Snyder and C. Freeman, C. Dostal and T. Dostal; and Ninth Grade Bass Clef 11 (N. Larson, A. Trewin, C. Dostal, Jenson, Sorenson, A. Dugger, E. Fadness, J. Phillips, C. Krieg, Smith, J. Paulson.

The DHS orchestra choir

The DHS Mixed Choir

Adam Knight and Linnea Kephart, shown here with accompanist Mary Beth Bouska, both received "Best of Center" awards for their vocal solos

Four students of this group received Outstanding Performance award for their Saxophone Quartet:Jacob Skold (front row 1st left ) Isaac Marquardt, Adam Knight, Dalton Brown (5th, 6th and 7th front row from left)