2026 All-State Middle Level String Orchestra

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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 2026 All-State Middle Level String Orchestra will take place on Wednesday, November 18, with a final concert at 4:30 pm at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.

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 2026-2027 school year
• The director MUST be registered and attend the Conference with their student(s).

2026 ALL-STATE MIDDLE LEVEL STRING ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR

Dr. Blair A. Williams is Director of Professional Development for the American String Teachers Association. She has served our string teaching community in public school, higher education, civic and youth symphonies, and in the string studio for over 25 years. Her school ensembles consistently achieved superior marks at contests and festivals. Recent conducting and clinician engagements have included youth, regional, and all-city ensembles in Alaska, Kansas, Hawaii, Ohio, Oregon, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Texas. She is on the conducting staff with the Manhattan (KS) Youth Symphony and frequently performs as a freelance musician.

Her presentations and research have been accepted or presented at international, national, and regional conferences and symposia. Her research interests include: music teacher education, community music, and music teacher recruitment. She is published in International Journal of Music Education, Journal of Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, American String Teacher, SmartMusic, and in volume 4 of Teaching Music Through Performance in Orchestra.

A frequent guest conductor, clinician, lecturer, and adjudicator, Dr. Williams enjoys working with and learning from teachers, musicians, and students across the country. Originally from Newton, Kansas, she holds degrees from The Ohio State University, Kansas State University, and Baylor University.

2026 ALL-STATE MIDDLE LEVEL ORCHESTRA REPERTOIRE

2026 ALL-STATE MIDDLE LEVEL ORCHESTRA RESULTS

The 2026 All-State Middle Level String Orchestra has been selected, and the list is available for the public to view!

View the Middle Level Orchestra Participants

The final concert will be held Wednesday, November 18 at 4:30 pm at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. We’re looking forward to the 2026 All-State performances and to working with dedicated young musicians from across Nebraska.

DIRECTOR INFORMATION

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS & DUE DATES

• Participation fees ($50 per student) are due by November 2nd. All invoices are handled through Festival Scores. Access links and payment instructions can be found in the Auditions Manual.
• Signed Image Release and Code of Conduct forms are due to [email protected] prior to the event. (All student participants must have a signed image release consent form and code of conduct emailed before check-in on the day of the event.)

Please see communications emailed by [email protected] for further details! 

PARENT & LEGAL GUARDIAN INFORMATION

TICKET PRE-SALE

Ticket pre-sale must be completed online. Please read the following instruction documents carefully. Ticket pre-sale does not begin until October 26.
You will not be able to order tickets until the pre-sale starts.

Middle Level Concert Ticket Instructions (English)

Middle Level Concert Ticket Instructions (Spanish)

ALL-STATE MEMORABILIA

Thank you to the following businesses for providing All-State memorabilia for participating students and their families!

Official All-State recordings provided by

Preorder online at https://www.soundwaves.org/
[email protected] | 419-433-4918

Official All-State photography provided by

Order online at http://callamsportsphoto.com/ (Photos will be available to view after the event)
[email protected] | 402-499-5630