Warburton Selected to All-State Orchestra

On Saturday, Oct. 25, five students from Okoboji High School competed with 1,200 of the finest musicians from Northwest Iowa for the privilege to perform in the 2008 Iowa High School Music Association's All-State Music Festival. Being accepted into the All-State Music Festival is one of the highest honors a high school musician can achieve.

Katelyn Warburton was selected to perform in the All-State Orchestra. Katelyn is a senior and is a third year all-state band member. She is the daughter of Joe and Diane Warburton. There is only one bass clarinet selected from the entire state to be in the All-State Orchestra. Katelyn was assigned to the orchestra by being selected as the top bass clarinet at the northwest Iowa district auditions.

Approximately 6,500 students from over 350 Iowa schools auditioned for the honor of being accepted into the 600 member All-State Chorus, the 200 member All-State Orchestra, or the 280 member All-State Band.

Students accepted to the All-State Music Festival represent the top 1.5 percent of Iowa high school musicians.

OHS instrumentalists who auditioned are Warburton, bass clarinet; Kris Kaufman, trumpet; and Mark Welle, tuba. OHS vocalists who auditioned are Maddie Paxton and Lowen Gude. Okoboji High School vocal director is Miss Erin Orness and instrumental director is Mr. Greg Forney.

The All-State music ensembles will rehearse in Ames on Thursday afternoon, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20-22 and the Festival Concert will be presented to the public at 7:30 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames on Saturday evening, Nov. 22. The festival concert will also be broadcast on Iowa Public Television on Thanksgiving weekend.