The Guilderland High School Wind Ensemble has been chosen to perform at the 88th Annual Winter Conference of the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) in Rochester, NY. The wind ensemble will be featured in the Friday morning concert hour on Dec. 6 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. The GHS group is the only school music ensemble from the Capital Region to be selected for this prestigious opportunity.
Performing at the NYSSMA Conference is one of the highest honors a school music ensemble can receive. The selection process recognizes exemplary demonstrations of music education and performance. School ensembles are required to submit anonymous recordings of their work that are reviewed and selected by NYSSMA leadership each spring. The GHS Wind Ensemble will perform for an audience of NYSSMA conference attendees including current, retired and pre-service music teachers, administrators and college professors.
Of the upcoming trip, senior flutist Siyi Guo said, “I’m excited! I want to visit the convention center and be surrounded by fantastic musicians from all over the state.This opportunity is special for us, because being selected means we’re one of the best school ensembles in the entire state! Everyone has worked really hard to get to this point. I think we luck out by being in this district, surrounded by these peers, because it pushes all of us to work harder.”
The wind ensemble is preparing three musical works for their performance. The first, a brand new, eclectic composition by emerging composer Duroje Gwamna, is titled “Dreamer’s Overture.” The second piece is the historic “Chorale and Shaker Dance” by John Zdechlik, which is one of the most challenging and widely celebrated works for high school bands. Their third and closing piece is the Spanish march “Sol y Sombra” by George Gates. “I am very excited about the wind ensemble’s program,” says director John Fatuzzo. “Individually, all three pieces are as rewarding to learn and play as they are for our audience to listen to.” The wind ensemble will be previewing their Rochester program in their fall concert performance at GHS on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
Following the wind ensemble’s performance at NYSSMA, the students will visit the famous Eastman School of Music. The band will receive a rehearsal clinic with Dr. Mark Scatterday, conductor of the Eastman Wind Ensemble, America’s first and leading wind ensemble. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for the students to learn from a conductor at one of the world’s most notable conservatories. I cannot wait to see what they take from the experience,” said Fatuzzo.
“The NYSSMA conference trip to Rochester is incredibly exciting as it offers our ensemble a prestigious stage to showcase our talents. This unique experience allows us to connect with a world class conductor and gain invaluable feedback,” adds sophomore bass clarinetist Evan Byon.
Members of the 2024-25 Guilderland High School Wind Ensemble
Flute/Piccolo
Siyi Guo
Caleb Pinder
Angeli Thomas
Anagha Vishwanath
Noah Webster
Michelle Zisa
Oboe
Austin Li
Angelina Mantoo
Bassoon
Abby Scofield
Clarinet
Marie Bogue
Isabella Clemente
Jane Fanning
Erin Kelly
Sarah King
Parker Skipp
Chloe Tyson
Zexi (John) Wang
Lauren Wasserbach
Alexander Zhang
Bass Clarinet
Evan Byon
Emily Cataldo
Contrabass Clarinet
Wyatt Pierce
Alto Saxophone (3)
Jenny Czaban
Alexander Goldman
Timothy Putorti
Tenor Saxophone
Emmelyn Freedman
BaritoneSaxophone
Octavius Flowers
Trumpet
Gabriel Fasciglione
Lindsey Hogan
Landon Kinal
David Mitkoff
Aaron Vitelli
Toby Weiss
Yoonsoo (Sam) Woo
Liam Yerdon
French Horn
Clare Grocki
Anthony Padula
Trombone (6)
Simon Alpart
Brendon Cao
Graham Clarke
Grace Curro
Ryan Rainka
Michael Trickett
Euphonium
Evan Bauer
Adam Hawrylchak
Emma McCoy
Demetrio Schiavone
Tuba
Ian Dunn
Elliana Famodu
Percussion
Jordan Baker
Nadia Hawrylchak
Franklin Kelly
Timothy Kelly
Alex Parmerter
Gavin Reyes
Jahan Trivedi
String Bass
Nathaniel Burke