2025 All-State Middle Level String Orchestra

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Information
Conductor
Repertoire
Audition Dates
Audition Materials
Audition Information & Manual

INFORMATION ABOUT THE ALL-STATE MIDDLE LEVEL STRING ORCHESTRA

What is the All-State Middle Level String Orchestra?
Strings students in seventh and eighth grades (whose teachers are NMEA members) are offered a chance to work with acclaimed conductors during the Nebraska Music Education Association Conference/Clinic. The 2025 All-State Middle Level String Orchestra will take place on Thursday, November 20 with a final concert at 4:00 pm (location TBD).

This event is in partnership with the Nebraska Chapter of the American String Teacher's Association.

Who can attend?

  • Students attending must be registered and attending the school or home school listed on the registration
  • Students must be under the direction of an NMEA member. If you need to become a member or renew your membership, visit www.nafme.org/membership/join/.
  • Students must be in the seventh or eighth grades during the 2025-2026 school year
  • The director MUST be registered and attend the Conference with their student(s).

2025 ALL-STATE MIDDLE LEVEL STRING ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR

Alison holds a Doctoral degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Kansas, Lawrence and a Master’s degree from U.S.C., Los Angeles in bass performance. Her professional conducting experience includes music director positions, assistant conductor positions, has been a conductor of youth symphonies, and has guest conducted various professional groups including 10 years as conductor of Brass Night and on various chamber concerts at the Breckenridge, CO summer music festival. Her academic conducting experience includes a year as interim Director of Orchestra at Iowa State and for Rock Valley College, IL, and for 4 years as conductor of the chamber orchestra at Illinois’ largest college, the College of DuPage. In addition, she has served as a clinician and guest conductor for music associations throughout the Midwest and for the Chicago Bass Festival. During her doctoral studies, she received assistantships from both the orchestral and jazz departments, where she worked and studied with British conductor, keyboards,t and recording artist Brian Priestman and with jazz educator, arranger and composer Dan Gailey. She has also received fellowships and won positions for conducting seminars through the League of American Orchestras, Chorus America, the Conductor’s Institutes in South Carolina (in opera), and at Bard College, NY.

Her performance experience as a bassist includes serving full-time as principal in Tulsa, OK (8 years), a Tanglewood fellowship, an Aspen Music Festival scholarship, was co-principal with the National Repertory Orchestra for 2 summers, and won a substitute audition with the St. Louis Symphony. She has also performed chamber music in the United States and in Europe and has been a featured soloist with the National Repertory Orchestra, Tulsa Philharmonic, Breckenridge, CO Festival, and Rockford, IL Symphony

2025 ALL-STATE MIDDLE LEVEL ORCHESTRA REPERTOIRE

TITLE COMPOSER
Allegretto from Symphony No. 7 Beethoven, arr. Lauren Keiser
Allegro Presto from Symphony No. 2 Joseph Bologne/Chevalier de Saint-Georges, arr. Deb. Baker 
Estrellita (Little Stars) Manuel Ponce, arr Robert Longfield
Blue Fire Fiddler Soon Hee Newbold
Amadeus from Symphony No. 25 Mozart, arr. Jamin Hoffman

 

2025 MIDDLE LEVEL ALL-STATE REGISTRATION & AUDITION DATES

August 18 - September 8, 2025

Registration through Festival Scores Opens and Closes
Any registration time stamped after September 8 will be deleted. There is NO Late Registration period.
September 10 - September 22 @ 11:59 PM CST Website portal opens and closes for Middle Level audition uploads ($10 fee per audition).
October 6 @ 11:59 PM CST  Middle Level Audition Fee is due ($10).
October 13 @ 8:00 AM CST  Middle Level Ensemble Selection announced.
November 3 @ 11:59 PM CST  Middle Level Participation Fee is due ($50 per selected student).

 

AUDITION MATERIALS

Starting in 2025, NMEA will utilize the services of Festival Scores to collect Middle Level student auditions. This is the same platform used for the High School All-State auditions. Auditions will include:

  • Scales
  • Etudes Set (odd year set)

1. All-State Scale Sheets (click each link to download)

Each scale sheet contains both major and minor scales.

2. All-State Etudes (click each link to download)

Please note that etude sheets do not include bowings.

AUDITION INFORMATION & MANUAL

There will be a $10.00 audition fee for all students who audition for the 2025 All-State Middle Level Orchestra and a $50.00 participation fee for those students who are selected. More information regarding auditions, including the All-State Auditions Manual with step-by-step instructions for Festival Scores, will be available in the fall.