Junior High
All County Festival

OCMEA's 2024 Junior High All County Festival will be held March 27 &28th at Adirondack. Auditions will be held on January 14, 2026 at New Hartford. Audition materials have been distributed to interested and eligible students. Please see your teacher with any questions or for more information.

This festival features student musicians in grades 7-9 from throughout the county. At the festival, students work with a guest conductor to prepare several pieces. The festival culminates with a concert performance for the public which benefits the OCMEA Scholarship fund. A traditional Junior High All County Festival features the following ensembles:

• String Orchestra- Karen Vaverka, conductor; Claire Wilkox & Tracie Forbes, chair

• Mixed Chorus- Matthew Donaleski - band conductor; John Krause accompanist; Heather Nunneker, chair

• Concert Band- Matthew Donaleski - band conductor; Gretchen Schlict, band

General Chairperson: Ryan O’Neil 

Auditions for wind, brass, percussion, and string players include: 

• Memorized Scales

• A group of short audition excerpts

• Sight reading

Auditions for choral students include:

• Two musical excerpts from music that will be performed at the festival (will be accompanied)

• Sight Singing

Students perform for a panel of judges, who evaluate and select the musicians who will participate in the festival.