Each year, students from the 136 public and private schools in the Massachusetts Music Educator’s Southeastern District compete, by audition, for spots in the four honors ensembles (chorus, concert band, jazz band, and orchestra). The honors ensembles, under the direction of some of the finest college conductors, assemble for rehearsals and a concert in January. Those highest scoring students receive recommendations to audition for the Massachusetts Music Educator’s All-State honors ensembles.
Five Tabor Academy students successfully auditioned for the Massachusetts Music Educator’s Southeastern Senior District Music Festival and will be participating on Friday, January 11and Saturday, January 12at Canton High School.
-Rosella Liu ’20, violin, orchestra (Hangzhou, China)
-Yaya Ma ’21, clarinet, orchestra (Shanghai, China)
-Andrew Mottur ’21, tenor, chorus (Rumford, RI)
-Violet Southwick ’20, cello, orchestra (Vineyard Haven, MA)
-Kyle Tabata ’20, violin, orchestra (Cambridge, MA)
In addition, Liu, Tabata, Mottur and Ma each received All-State audition recommendations. The All-State audition is the third week of January and successful students will have the opportunity to play at Symphony Hall in Boston.
Phil Sanborn, faculty, said, “Of particular note were the auditions of violinists Rosella Liu and Kyle Tabata. To a large degree, individual schools send only their very best musicians to this audition. This year, over one hundred violinists auditioned for the District Orchestra on that day. Rosella Liu received the highest score of all of those violinists and was seated first chair, concertmistress, in the orchestra. Kyle Tabata scored one point behind Rosella and was seated third chair in the orchestra, due to a tie score. We are so proud of their accomplishment and look forward to seeing what they will do at the All-State auditions.”
According to Sanborn, Liu and Tabata study the violin privately with Mr. Ethan Wood, assistant concertmaster of the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Wood is one of thirteen private music instructors who come to the Tabor campus to teach music lessons.