Senior High School Orchestra Festival
Guest Conductor: Dr. Christopher Cicconi
Co-Hosted by Stephanie Glover & Chad Thompson, Bethel Park High School and Jeff Kesser, West Mifflin Area High School
Saturday, January 11, 2025 4:00 pm
Bethel Park High School Auditorium
Dr. Christopher Cicconi is Director of Bands and Professor of Wind Conducting at James Madison University. Conductor of James Madison University School of Music’s premiere concert band, the Wind Symphony, he also teaches courses in undergraduate as well as graduate conducting, wind ensemble literature, advises Masters and Doctoral Conducting students, and provides visionary leadership for as well as oversees the School of Music’s comprehensive band program. Coupled with his duties at James Madison, Dr. Cicconi serves as the Principal Conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Music Director of the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra, and a Conductor of the New England Music Camp Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Band.
As a strong advocate for music education and community outreach, Dr. Cicconi is in demand throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and is a sought-after guest conductor, clinician, and professional developer. He has appeared as a band and orchestra clinician in well over 200 public and private institutions and has been awarded, by the Maryland Music Educators Association, both the Outstanding Music Educator and the Corwin Taylor Music E ducation Leadership Awards and is a past president of the Maryland Band Directors Association. As a guest conductor, Cicconi has appeared with All-State, All-Region, and All-County Bands and Orchestras in numerous states around the country including California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wyoming, as well as the countries of Argentina and China. Finally, Dr. Cicconi frequently serves as a guest conductor for the internationally acclaimed Sewanee Music Festival as well as the United States Naval Academy and has presented clinic sessions at the field’s most prestigious conferences, including the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and the National Association for Music Education Conference.
As an active scholar, Cicconi’s agenda includes wind and orchestral repertoire and other current music education topics such as score study, conducting, and arranging. His most recent publications, ‘The Band Music Handbook, A Catalog of Emerging Band Repertoire,’ and contributions to “Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra” have proved to be valuable resources for instrumental ensemble directors worldwide. As an arranger, Cicconi premiered his transcriptions of Jonathan Leshnoff’s ‘Rush’ and David Maslanka’s ‘Symphony No. 8’ with the Towson University Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra respectively, which have been subsequently published by Theodore Presser and Carl Fischer. Since then, they have both received numerous performances nationwide in university and conference settings, including a performance at the college Band Directors National Association Southwest Regional Conference.
Prior to his arrival in Maryland, Dr. Cicconi earned a Doctoral of Musical Arts Degree in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Miami, where he was awarded a Henry Mancini Fellowship and was a student of Mr. Gary D. Green. He completed a Master of Music Education Degree, with an emphasis in Instrumental Conducting from Arizona State University and earned a Bachelor of Music Education Degree (summa cum laude) from Youngstown State University. He is a member of College Band Directors National Associa tion, Florida Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, Pi Kappa Lambda, and an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha, Tau Beta Sigma.
Welcome from Bethel Park Superintendent
On behalf of the Bethel Park Board of School Directors and district administration, I want to welcome you to Bethel Park and congratulate the musicians performing this evening. We are pleased to host this event in Bethel Park because it validates how we deeply value music programs in schools. We know from mountains of research that there is a lasting positive impact of music education on the academic, personal, and professional growth of students. Music education shapes the way our students understand themselves and the world around them, allowing for a deep engagement with learning. Tonight’s concert affirms these values as music educators, students and families throughout Western Pennsylvania perform together to demonstrate the importance of quality music education programs to the lives of young people.
Students, I admire your dedication to the preparation for this event, but also the unwavering commitment to music education and the ideals of a music ensemble. Your desire to perform at a high level, which has long been a great tradition for Bethel Park, inspires many young musicians watching from the seats to make the same commitments. I wish you and your directors much success. Bethel Park supports you, is cheering for you, and is proud of your efforts. Thank you for being here and making beautiful music.
James M. Walsh, Ed.D. Superintendent
PROGRAM
FESTIVE OVERTURE, OP. 96……………………………………………………Dmitri
RUSSIAN EASTER FESTIVAL, Op. 36……………….……………….Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
DANZÓN NO. 2……………………………………………………………………..…….Arturo Marquez
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
THE UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW PROHIBITS THE RECORDING OF FESTIVAL CONCERTS. IT IS UNLAWFUL TO USE ANY RECORDING DEVICE DURING THIS PROGRAM. PMEA REGULATIONS ALSO FORBID THE USE OF CAMERAS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
PROFESSIONAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PERFORMANCE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN THE LOBBY
The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) advances comprehensive and innovative music education through promoting effective instruction, providing meaningful learning experiences, and ensuring impactful and equitable music engagement for all.
In addition, college chapters and TRI-M Music Honor Society are comprised of students enrolled in music education. PMEA provides leadership in professional growth and offers special opportunities for musical development to school students.
District 1 includes over 550 school and private music teachers from Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. District 1 sponsors high school and junior high orchestra, band and chorus festivals for members' students who are selected either by tryouts or director recommendation and school size quotas. An honors string orchestra, honors band and honors chorus are offered to student-musicians by competitive audition. District 1 festival musicians may advance to Region, All State, Eastern Division and National NAfME groups.
In addition, District 1 annually hosts two Jazz Band Fests, an Elementary Sing Fest East and West, several Elementary Band Fests and Professional Development Workshops for all music teachers.
PMEA DISTRICT 1 SR. HIGH ORCHESTRA PARTICIPANTS
VIOLIN 1
Ilana Aranovich
Emma Balega
Franklin Regional
Greater Latrobe
Rhiannon Bowman
Ava Chismar
Sienna Daley
Mt. Pleasant
Peters Township
Riverview
Anna Delale O'Connor Fox Chapel
Ava Fleming
Thomas Jefferson
Emanuel Flournoy Plum
Roselyn Goldstein Upper St. Clair
Jayden Hoang
Karin Hoppo
Zachary Jiang
Paxton Kendall
Quentin Lesko
Avery Mills
Bailey Nolan
Jerry Yu
West Mifflin Area
North Allegheny
Hampton
Albert Gallatin
Allderdice
The Ellis School
The Ellis School
Sophia Zaragoza
VIOLIN 2
Irina Franco
Annmarie George
Mt. Lebanon
Trinity Area
Deer Lakes
Greensburg Central Catholic
Kendall Hammer
Abigail Kovac
Kada Lamonde
Adam McElhinny
Connor McGrew
South Fayette
Gateway
Keystone Oaks
West Mifflin Area
McKeesport
Christian Mendoza
Timothy Mitrik
Shaler Area
West Mifflin Area
Kambria Mossburg Norwin
Jordan Patterson
Lyla Paull
VIOLA
Ainsley Anderson
Brady Bart
Joanna Bi
Quaker Valley
Chartiers Valley
Shady Side Academy
Alisabeth Bushko
Greta Coleman
Lauren Happe
Abigail Hewitt
Trinity Area
Mt. Lebanon
Quaker Valley
Norwin
Victoria Krappweiss
Lucian Mikush
Zahara Myers
Benjamin Price
Morgan Radi
Hailey Sanders
Natalie Shaffer
Lily Shuey
Caden Zhao
Owen Chen
Albert Dong
Bethel Park
Mt. Lebanon
Gateway
Peters Township
Pine-Richland
Shaler Area
Deer Lakes
South Fayette
Shady Side Academy
CELLO
North Allegheny
Sewickley Academy
Elliott Drake
Sylvie Ericksen
Aletha Foster
Charles Hahl
Ryan Kim
Ian Munn
North Hills
Mt. Lebanon
Franklin Regional
Fox Chapel
Pine-Richland
East Allegheny
Abigail Ney Moon
Braydon Parker
Andrew Pleskovich
Carter Smeal
Ellie Tang
Penn Hills
Bethel Park
Michael Pfeffercorn McKeesport
Marilena Player Hampton
Ashton Saunders
Audrey Schotting
Adele Stamenov
Grace Zhou
BASS
Michael Costello
Eleanor DeMann
Joseph Lee
Ben Ma
Fox Chapel
Pine-Richland
North Allegheny
North Allegheny
Julius Mendenhall Plum
Kate Moore
Bailey Ringloff
Cam Wallace
Keystone Oaks
Thomas Jefferson
Bethel Park
HARP
Aislynn Senn
FLUTE
Fox Chapel
Vanessa Amayo Avonworth
Ashlyn Casale
Nia Hanington
Pine-Richland
Franklin Regional
Madeline Kolenc Yough
AJ Schmidt
Franklin Regional
Joshua Shah Fox Chapel
Athena Zhang
North Allegheny
OBOE
Maia Gomez Montour
Edward Kim
Kayla Shaari
Josh Spencer
Peters Township
Trinity Christian
Chartiers-Houston
CLARINET
Seoyoung Bang North Allegheny
Dawson Cummings Plum
Jacob Miller
Baldwin
Penn Hills
Baldwin
North Allegheny
Leonidas Vandapel Fox Chapel
Darcy Vilkner
HORN
Kaleb Amick
Avonworth
Andreh De La Torre-Alvarado
Keystone Oaks
Eric Drozda
Violet Kucler
Lilly Larkin
Brady McKiernan
Andrew Purucker
Enzo Washowich
Mt. Lebanon
North Allegheny
North Hills
Bethel Park
Shaler Area
Norwin
TRUMPET
Zach Bush
Henry Cramer
Wesley Duncan
Daniel Goss
Carlee Santel
Burrell
Bethel Park
Mt. Lebanon
Pine-Richland
Upper St. Clair
Jonathan Uh North Allegheny
TROMBONE
Ethan Alberter
Aidan Allen
Elliot Broyles
Russell Delsignore
Felix Kammerer
Gavin Lichok
Bethel Park
North Hills
Fox Chapel
Norwin
Bethel Park
Franklin Regional
TUBA
Adam Briggs
David Willey
Trinity Christian
Ryan Noir Pine-Richland
Kyriaki Smith
Jayda Spencer
Upper St. Clair
Hannah Yang North Allegheny
Riverview
West Allegheny
Bethel Park
North Hills
North Allegheny
North Allegheny
PERCUSSION
Tiernan Jenkins
Wesley Madge
Upper St. Clair
Chartiers-Houston
BASSOON
Marina Dunham Fox Chapel
Benjamin Glass
Neyla Hinedi
Sewickley Academy
Shady Side Academy
Zoey Roberts
Bethel Park
Mt. Lebanon
Chartiers Valley
Jack Murray-Krezan
Luke Snedecor
Jason Stough
PIANO
Fox Chapel
Kiski Area
Avella
Mary Helen Barr, Professional
PARTICPATING SCHOOLS AND DIRECTORS
Mary Kendall, Albert Gallatin HS
Noah Kilgus, Avella Area HS
Cory Neville, Avonworth HS
Emery Palmer, Baldwin HS
Chad Thompson, Bethel Park HS
Stephanie Glover, Bethel Park HS
Michael Pagnotta, Burrell HS
Erika Pierce, Chartiers Valley HS
Traci Kelly, Chartiers Valley HS
Bud Smokovich, Chartiers-Houston HS
Leanne Scholl, Deer Lakes HS
Ted DiSanti, Greensburg Central Catholic HS
Stephen Ehrlich, East Allegheny HS
Daryl Lesnik, Fox Chapel Area HS
Mairi Cooper, Fox Chapel Area HS
Nicholas Nutter, Franklin Regional HS
Dennis Persin, Gateway HS
Ryan Czekaj, Greater Latrobe HS
Ryan Meyer, Hampton HS
Bill Eibeck, Keystone Oaks HS
Rich Smith, Keystone Oaks HS
Shawn Pityk, Kiski Area HS
Sarah Persin, McKeesport Area HS
Cyndi Mancini, Montour HS
Nicholas Barthen, Moon Area HS
Brett McCutcheon, Mt. Lebanon HS
Douglas Reichenfeld, Mt. Lebanon HS
Michael Buckstein, Mt. Pleasant HS
Sarah Lavelle, North Allegheny Int. & Sr. HS
Emily Rickard, North Allegheny Int. HS
Todd Stefan, North Allegheny Sr. HS
Len Lavelle, North Hills HS
Lucas Beaver, North Hills HS
Nick Vranesevic, North Hills HS
Michael Szymanski, Norwin HS
Tim Daniels, Norwin HS
Michael Berkey, Penn Hills HS
David Young, Peters Township HS
Stephen McGough, Peters Township HS
Will Guess, Pine-Richland HS
David Belchick, Pine-Richland HS
Bethany Loy, Plum HS
Andrew Bronkaj, Plum HS
Corrie Nye, Quaker Valley HS
Jason Libell, Riverview HS
Brian Buckley, Sewickley Academy
Jeff Gross, Shady Side Academy
Milan Tepshich, Shaler Area HS
Seth McCall, Shaler Area HS
Cloe Hall, South Fayette HS
Simon Cummings, The Ellis School
James Mirabella, Thomas Jefferson HS
Chloe Brendle, Trinity HS
Mark Maurer, Trinity Christian HS
Karen Chisholm, Upper St. Clair HS
Nick Deutsch, Upper St. Clair HS
T.J. Fox, West Allegheny HS
Jeff Kesser, West Mifflin Area HS
Melanie Chmay, Yough HS
2024-2025 PMEA DISTRICT 1 EXECUTIVE BOARD
President……………….…………… …...….Meagan Bruno, West Allegheny
Vice President………………… ……….Lucas Beaver, North Hills
Immediate Past President…… ……………… Eryn Carranza, South Fayette
Treasurer…………………………..……...….….……......……...William Eibeck, Keystone Oaks
Secretary………………………..………….…………………………Jamie Gore, Southmoreland
Festival Coordinator…………………...……………………...…………..Cyndi Mancini, Montour
Fest Coordinator………………………………………..…………….Rachel Skilone, Bethel Park
Web Editor…………………………………….………………….Mark Santore, Laurel Highlands
High Ed. Representative/State Rep……………..…..Jessica Vaughan-Marra, Seton Hill Univ.
High Ed. Representative………………………...……………Christopher Mara, Seton Hill Univ.
Curriculum & Instruction…………………………………………..……..Aaron Booz, Bethel Park
Professional Development & Advocacy Committee
Advocacy Chair Galen McKinney, Brentwood
MPA Representative John Seybert, Upper St. Clair
HS Representative Daniels, Norwin
Jr. High/MS Representative Ben Cook, Elizabeth Forward
Elementary Representative Taylor Powell, Penn Trafford
Content Area Representatives
Band Ryan Czekaj, Greater Latrobe
Choir Amanda Rosco, East Allegheny
Orchestra Jeanne Tupper, South Fayette
2024-2025 PMEA STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President—Brett Keith, Northern Bedford County
Immediate Past President Scott Cullen, Octorara
President Elect Rebecca Sensor, DuBois
Executive Director PMEA Executive Office
WEST MIFFLIN AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT 2024-2025
ADMINISTRATORS
Superintendent: Mr. Jeffrey Soles
Assistant Superintendent: Dr. Jeffrey Solomon
Director of Finance & Operations: Mr. Edward Wehrer
Director of Pupil Services: Mrs. Noelle Haney
Director of Special Education: Dr. Dayna Sikora
Facilities Director: Mr. Mark Zidek
Music Department Head: Mr. Devon Smeal
West Mifflin High School Administration
Head Principal, Mr. Chad Licht
Assistant Principal, Mr. Robert Yeschenko
BETHEL PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT 2024-2025
ADMINISTRATORS
Superintendent: Dr. James Walsh
Assistant Superintendent for K-8 Education: Mrs. Mandi Figlioli
Director of Literacy, Programs and Accountability: Mrs. Elizabeth Wells
Assistant Superintendent for Facilities & Operations: Dr. Mark Korcinsky
Supervisor of Facilities & Operations: Mr. Dan Sloan
Director of Financial and Personnel Services: Mr. Anthony Piscioneri
Bethel Park High School Administration
Head Principal, Mr. Joe Villani
Principal, Mr. Jim Fodse
Principal, Mr. Keith Walters
Auditorium Coordinator, Mr. Christopher Plummer