Eleven Madison Country Day School students competed in 14 events at the Wisconsin State Solo and Ensemble Festival on April 25 at UW-Platteville, with performances ranging from bassoon solos to vocal duets, and two students earning a nomination for the highest honor the competition awards.
Dhyana ’28 and Eleanor ’29, received a nomination for an Exemplary Performance Recognition, which fewer than 10% of participants received.
To qualify for state, students must perform Class A pieces, the most difficult classification, and receive a first-place rating at the district level.
Dhyana ’28, who competed as both a pianist and saxophonist, said her favorite part of preparation was performing at the school’s spring recital, which served as a warmup for festival competitors.
“I want to have a good performance and get good feedback from the judges that I can hopefully use in the future,” she said before the event.
While she earned top marks for her saxophone performance, it was her piano solo, “Serenade for the Doll” by Debussy, that earned her the nomination for the highest-level award.
Eleanor competed at the district level in sixth, seventh and eighth grade, working up through Class C and B pieces before attempting Class A for the first time this year.
“I love to sing, and doing a Class A piece was both challenging and exciting,” Eleanor said. “It was such an honor to make it to state and be nominated for the Exemplary Performance Award.”
At the state level, performances are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest.
“You perform your music for a judge, and then the judge gives you a rating based on your performance through a specific rubric,” said Bethany Schultz, a middle and high school music teacher who coordinates the solo and ensemble festival for MCDS students. “Students perform anywhere from sixth to 12th grade, starting with the most basic repertoire to a college-level repertoire.”
For competitors, the festival is as much about growth as it is about scores. Judges provide written feedback, and each musician arrives with their own goals.
Ava ’31, the youngest MCDS competitor, played Chopin’s “Minute Waltz” in D-flat major. “Something I really enjoyed in practice was playing for my friends,” she said. “Getting to state was the real goal.”
Will ’27, who has played trumpet in the MCDS band for seven years, said the hours of preparation paid off in a different way. “I know my song so well that I can add my own expression to it,” he said before the state performance. “I just want to do my best and play my song as well as I can.” He earned the top mark for his performance.
Although there is no national solo and ensemble competition, some students will keep building their skills beyond the festival. For example, Eleanor will attend Interlochen Arts Camp this summer for its Voice and Opera program.
