Participating school districts include Averill Park, Ballston Spa, Bethlehem, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, East Greenbush, Guilderland, Mohonasen, Niskayuna, North Colonie, Saratoga Springs, Scotia-Glenville, Shenendehowa, and South Colonie.
The students will undergo a series of intense music rehearsals, led by renowned conductors from across the Northeast. The Middle School chorus will be directed by Mrs. Diane Warner, the founder of the Capital District Youth Chorale (CDYC). The Middle School Band will be directed by Mandy Fara Dsharage, a member of the music education faculty of the Syosset Central School District. She is currently a band director at South Woods Middle School. The Middle School Orchestra will be led by Ken Brown, who is retired after 37 years in public school music education. For 35 of those years, Ken was director of the high school orchestra and instructor of violin in Fairport, NY. Leading the High School Jazz Band is Mike Titlebaum, Director of Jazz Studies at Ithaca College.
The festival will culminate in a concert performance, which is free of charge and open to the public, at Ballston Spa High School, 220 Ballston Avenue, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 13. Please contact the school for more information at (518) 884-7150 ext. 2389.
