It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And with that time comes a very special moment for any young musician: OMEA solo and ensemble contest! The OMEA solo and ensemble contest allows students from all over Ohio to perform songs to showcase their musical ability. These songs are incredibly difficult to perform and range from a scale of Class A, being the hardest, to Class C, being the easiest. 

Sophomore Maddie Droste, a member of Cantorum and Mustang Express, competed in the OMEA solo and ensemble contest last year with Paisiello’s ¨Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento¨ where she received a 1, which is the highest rating you can receive. When asked why she chose that song for the contest she said “to me there’s more than just learning a song by the words and notes. You really have to think about what message the writer of the song is trying to show through his or her song and finding the best way to perform that ”. Droste plans to return to the contest again this year and hopes to receive the same honor of receiving a 1. 

Senior clarinetist Abby Maher is currently working on ¨Debussy’s Premiere Rhapsody¨ for OMEA. Her preparation has been ongoing for around a month now. Maher says it is a “gorgeous French class A piece with many challenging parts”. She is also hoping to use the piece to audition for concerto competitions. 

Junior Delaney Allen, a bassist for Symphony Orchestra, is doing a piece called ¨Russian Sailors Dance¨ that she has loved since the 8th grade. She picked it out over the summer and this is her first year going Class A at the competition. She says she “hopes to continue her streak of straight 1s”.