WSMA Honors Student Composers

Intermediate School Division Award Winners (Grades 4-6)

Division Winner
Sirius by Skyler Sibila from Atwater Elementary School; Miriam Altman – Educator

Instrumental Solo
First Place: Trapped Whales by Emily Buchan from Wisconsin Hills Middle School; Phil Rothschadl – Educator

Digital Music Production
First Place: Sirius by Skyler Sibila from Atwater Elementary School; Miriam Altman – Educator
Second Place: The Witches’ Party by Madeline DuBois from Atwater Elementary School; Miriam Altman – Educator

 

Middle School Division Award Winners (Grades 7-8)

Division Winner
Suite from the Natural World by Charlie Plante from Webster Middle School; David Aswegan – Educator

Instrumental Ensemble
First Place: Tag by Liam Winkler from North Middle School; Lonna Schickert – Educator
Second Place: The Coronation by Ian Apps from Waunakee Middle School; Cassandra Taylor – Educator

Piano Solo
First Place: Suite from the Natural World by Charlie Plante from Webster Middle School; David Aswegan – Educator
Second Place:  The Bee by Aarush Behera from Kromrey Middle School; Nancy Kurr – Educator
Third Place: Ascension by Paige Faulkner from Park View Middle School; Sarah Oftedahl – Educator

Vocal Solo
First Place: Ghost Ship by Elias Omernik; Mathew Buchman – Educator

Arrangement
First Place: Indigonium Forge by Ethan Pawlak from Frank Lloyd Wright Intermediate School; Mary Pat Michels – Educator

Digital Music Production
First Place: Light vs. Dark by Tiernan Fritz from Waunakee Community School District; Jessica Spicer – Educator
Second Place: terraform! by Isaac Hessman from Eagle School; Mark Wurzelbacher – Educator
Third Place: The Dark World by Katie Leder from Waunakee Community Middle School; Jessica Spicer – Educator
Honorable Mention: Boss Battle by Owen Gillingham from Waunakee Community Middle School; Jessica Spicer – Educator

High School Division Award Winners (Grades 9-12)

Division Winner
In Meadows They Danced by Joey O’Connor from Lincoln High School; Rebekah Nyenhuis – Educator

Concert Band/Orchestra
First Place: In Meadows They Danced by Joey O’Connor from Lincoln High School; Rebekah Nyenhuis – Educator
Second Place: 114-Title Sequence by Lam Ho from Wayland Academy; Amy Thorondsen – Educator
Third Place: Divide with Reunification by Gift Akere from Verona Area High School; Eric Anderson – Educator
Honorable Mention: Composition of the Arts by Aura Kostecki from Milwaukee High School of the Arts; Mark Grauer – Educator
Honorable Mention: Piano Concerto in D Minor Movement 1 by Chase Van Benschoten from James Madison Memorial High School; Ben Jaeger – Educator

Instrumental Solo
First Place: Elegy for Solo Violin in Bb Minor by Thomas Hsu from Middleton High School; Steve Kurr – Educator
Second Place: Medieval Fantasy Theme by Chase Van Benschoten from James Madison Memorial High School; Ben Jaeger – Educator
Third Place: Lullaby by Amanda Hergn from Milwaukee High School of the Arts; Pablo Amaya – Educator

Instrumental Ensemble
First Place: Delphis by Nathan Moldavsky from Homestead High School; John Emanuelson – Educator
Second Place : Descent into the Underworld by Suzy Endres from Oak Creek High School; Guy Gregg – Educator
Third Place: Drink from the Well by John Cargille from Harborside Academy; Zachary Hamilton – Educator
Honorable Mention: Midnight Nova by Nathaniel Crowder from Wisconsin Lutheran High School; Quinten Petersen – Educator
Honorable Mention: Lost in the City by Ryan Hoganson from Wausau West High School; Kirsten Hornby – Educator

Digital Music Production
First Place: The Dragon King by Jallissa Vanden Heuvel from Wrightstown High School; Elizabeth Graber – Educator
Second Place: Reconciliation by Nicholas Kaminski from Madison Country Day School; Jon Schipper – Educator
Third Place: Party Animal by Mark Henke from Madison Country Day School; Jon Schipper – Educator
Honorable Mention: Aloof by Grace Vanden Heuvel from Hortonville High School; Greg Forton – Educator

Piano Solo
First Place: Quarantine Rag by Max Letellier from Eisenhower; Josh Kimball – Educator
Second Place : Sweet Sorrow by Thaddaeus Markle from Phillips High School; Justin Lindgren – Educator
Third Place: Almighty Light (A Faith Statement to God) by David Wagner from Mosinee High School; Carla Dul – Educator
Honorable Mention: Wellspring by Ted Emmert from Little Wolf High School; Kevin Plekan – Educator
Honorable Mention: Hypnotic Waters by Jeremy Cotturone from Mukwonago High School; Emma Angoli – Educator

Vocal Solo
First Place: Vogelschwarm by Gavin Forest from Sturgeon Bay High School; Benjamin Olejniczak – Educator

Vocal Ensemble
First Place: In the End by Eric Luebke from River Falls High School; Sarah Plum – Educator
Second Place :  Stars by Elena Himmerich from University Lake School; Nicole Skowronski – Educator
Third Place: Here is Love by Thaddaeus Markle from Phillips High School; Justin Lindgren – Educator
Honorable Mention: Storm by Connor Markohn from West Bend West High School; Corey Murphy – Educator

Instrumental Jazz
First Place: The Belmontian Boogie by Gabriel Mailloux from the Mailloux Family Home School; Jan Mailloux – Educator
Second Place : Tone Row Bebop by Max Letellier from New Berlin Eisenhower; Josh Kimball – Educator
Third Place: Par’lel Pizzazz by Connor Markohn from West Bend West High School; Corey Murphy – Educator
Honorable Mention: Late Night Groove by Ryan Hoganson from Wausau West High School; Kirsten Hornby – Educator

Miscellaneous
First Place: Piano Trio No. 1 in C Minor by Aiden Williams-Brusubardis from Pius XI High School; Praneeth Madoori – Educator
Second Place: In the Grove of Whispering Stones by Ted Emmert from Little Wolf High School; Kevin Plekan – Educator
Third Place:  Elliot by Daniel Schmidt from Indian Trail High School and Academy; Jeremy Kriedeman – Educator

Arrangement
First Place: Blame it on the Boogie by Nathaniel Frisque from Wisconsin Lutheran High School; Quinten Petersen – Educator
Second Place: Moon River by Damien Blair from Milwaukee High School of the Arts; Raymond Roberts – Educator
Third Place: The Turkey in the Straw by Max Letellier from New Berlin Eisenhower High School; Josh Kimball – Educator
Honorable Mention: Canon in F for Vibraphone Duet by Grace Vanden Heuvel from Hortonville High School; Greg Forton – Educator

This year a total of 121 submissions were received for the project with 99 submissions in the High School Division (grades 9-12), 17 in the Middle School Division (grades 5-8) and 5 in the Intermediate School Division (grades 4-6). Eleven submissions received Honorable Mention distinctions and 41 submissions received awards based on merit in 13 different categories.

The Student Composition Project provides student composers the opportunity to receive feedback regarding the positive qualities of his/her piece as well as provide ways to improve as a composer in the future. Each submission is reviewed and receives a written critique by a professional composer. Reviewers determine awards and winners. Division winners receive a scholarship to study composition.

For more information about WSMA and the Student Composition Project, go to wsmamusic.org/composition_project.

Founded in 1932, Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) is a non-profit service organization with more than 1,000 member public and private schools. Students from member schools are eligible to participate in WSMA programs, such as District and State Music Festivals, Concert Festivals, State Honors Music Project, State Marching Band Championships, Student Composition Project and WSMA Aca U. WSMA is governed by a board of directors made up of superintendents, principals and other officers from all over the state. WSMA believes music is a basic human need and that all children have the right to experience all that music offers them.