La Porte High School junior Robert
Green will bring recognition to his school and community on Feb. 14 as he
performs as a member of the Texas All-State Symphony Orchestra at the Texas
Music Educators Association Convention in San Antonio.
The orchestra is scheduled to
perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Lila Cockrell Theater of the Henry B. Gonzalez
Convention Center.
Robert has been playing the string bass
since he began at Baker Sixth-Grade Campus. Five years later, he has become one
of the most accomplished young bassists in the Houston area, according to LPHS
orchestra director Dr. Geoff Carlton.
In November, Robert became the
first orchestra student from LPHS to be named to the All-State Orchestra since
2000. Robert ranked sixth in the All-State Symphony Orchestra, which is the
first of two All-State Orchestras.
In order to qualify to try out for
All-State, students must first rank highly in their All-Region tryouts. Robert
ranked first chair string bass in the All-Region 19 Symphony Orchestra
auditions held last October.
Along with the other qualifiers, he
recorded a rigorous tryout consisting of music from the original region tryout
and excerpts from music to be performed by the All-State Orchestras this
weekend. All recordings are judged at one site by orchestra directors from the
entire state of Texas.
The All-State Bands, Choirs and
Orchestras perform annually at the convention in early February.
Robert supplements his orchestra
studies in La Porte by performing in the Houston Youth Symphony. He has been a
member of the Houston Youth Symphony Program for five years and is currently
the second chair performer in the HYS Symphony Orchestra. He has also placed
first chair string bass in All-Region Orchestra Tryouts four of the past five years.
Robert studies locally with Adrian
Washburn, but he has also taken some lessons with Jeff Braditich, bass
professor at the University of North Texas. Robert also had the opportunity to take some
lessons with Robert Oppelt, who is the principle bassist in the National
Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. He
has received Superior ratings on all of the solos he has performed at Region
and State Solo & Ensemble events.
Robert, who is also a third degree
black belt in karate, resides in La Porte with his father, Billy Green.
