Two dozen Huntington School District musicians have been selected to perform in this winter’s Long Island String Festival concerts.
Among the festival musicians are Woodhull Intermediate School fifth graders Kennya Alvarado, Angie Perlita Ramos, Gretchen Schmid, Luke Shanley and Lindsey Zilm and sixth graders Patricia Abruzzo, Cecilia Lee, Gabe MacManus and Caitlin Wegielnik; Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School fifth grader Isla Campbell, Behan England, Stewart Henry and Katharine Lyons and sixth graders Angelica Cunningham, Matthew Krull, Shelby Meystrik and Jonathan Soviero; J. Taylor Finley Middle School eighth graders Manpreet Kaur and Eva Richter; Huntington High School freshman Rachel Huth; sophomores Liva Camarata and Amalia Heinz and juniors Charlotte Gordon and Brooke Parks.
“Among the disciplines severely impacted by the pandemic were the performing arts,” Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “With that said, we are thrilled to have had 24 Huntington students selected to this year’s LISFA ensembles, the first time they will have performed since 2019. We are beyond proud of the efforts put forth and the growth demonstrated by our music students and staff!”
The Huntington musicians are among Long Island’s best. They were chosen for the festival based on their New York State School Music Association solo evaluation scores and teacher recommendations.
The Long Island String Festival Association began in 1956, gathering students from across Long Island into three orchestras. Today, LISFA hosts festivals in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. The organization also awards many scholarships to support students’ musical study through their school years and beyond.
“The success of LISFA lies in the strength of the string teachers on Long Island, their talented students, the parents who support their musical development and the quality of the conductors who together celebrate the power of music,” according to the organization’s website.