On Saturday, October 24, students from Region 19 met at Pasadena Memorial High School and auditioned for placement in one of two Region 19 Orchestras. Tryouts were heard by a panel of five judges and consisted of two etudes. Nine students from La Porte High School were selected.
Selected to the Philharmonic Orchestra were violinists, Khadijah Erskine, Miguel Archundia, and Aleena Velasco. The Philharmonic Orchestra is an all-string orchestra and is geared toward younger high school students as well as older students who have not had much instruction.
Selected to the Symphony Orchestra were violinists Joseph Redd and Giovanni Fuentes; violist Michael Walters, cellist Katrina Hilson; and Bassists Robert Green and Chanse Parra. In addition, Brandon Wood was the first alternate on viola. The Symphony Orchestra is a full orchestra of strings along with the highest ranked wind and percussion players in the Region as selected by tryouts for the Region Bands later in December.
Bassists Robert Green and Chanse Parra both continued on to the Area competition on October 31, at Dobie High School in Pasadena. Both bass players recorded audition tapes consisting of etude music from the region audition and excerpts from the All-State Orchestra programs to be performed in San Antonio in February of 2010. Recordings made by students representing all 30 regions of Texas will be judged by orchestra directors across the state the first weekend in November with the top students chosen to perform at the 2010 TMEA All-State Convention. Each year over 30,000 band, choir, and orchestra students participate in All-Region and All-State audition process.
The Region Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras will rehearse the weekend of January 22 and 23, 2010, at Deer Park High School. All students chosen will audition for chair placement at the beginning of rehearsals. A performance for the public will be given on Saturday afternoon, January 23rd, at Deer Park High School.
Region 19 consists of school districts on the east side of the metro Houston area, including Pasadena, South Houston, Humble, Atascocita, Kingwood, Galena Park, Deer Park, and La Porte.
