Local students take stage in WSMA Middle Level State Honors Concert

L-R: Eleanor Enyeart, Elizabeth Durst, and Hypatia Dolan

Many of Wisconsin’s most accomplished junior high and middle school music students (choir, orchestra, band) performed in Verona on Saturday, November 1, at the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) Middle Level State Honors Music Project concerts.

Throughout the state, 300 students in grades 6-8 were selected from more than 1,000 who auditioned for the program in April. Auditions were held in person as individual student performances that included a prepared solo, memorized scales and sight-reading exercises.  

Three Menomonie students were chosen for the choir. They are Eleanor Enyeart, Elizabeth Durst, and Hypatia Dolan.

WSMA State Honors Music Project brings student musicians together to work with nationally known conductors in a professional setting. The 2025 WSMA Middle Level State Honors conductors are:

Band: Dr. Phil Ostrander, UW-Eau Claire

Orchestra: Dr. E. Edward Kawakami, Carthage College

Choir: Dr. Amon Eady, Central Michigan University

“Learning, interacting and performing with other inspiring musicians from across the state under the direction of a nationally recognized conductor and some of Wisconsin’s finest music educators, offers students an incredible enrichment opportunity,” said Erica Ruppert, WSMA program director.

The November 1 concerts, held at the Verona Area High School Performing Arts Center, celebrated the extraordinary accomplishments of Wisconsin’s young musicians.

Students in grades 6-8 who attend a WSMA member school and participate in the school’s music program will be eligible to audition for the 2026 WSMA Middle Level State Honors Project. Auditions will be held in April at six locations throughout Wisconsin. For more information on Middle Level State Honors and other WSMA programs, visit wsmamusic.org.