Local Students Among Those in the 2025 Nebraska All-State Ensembles

LINCOLN, NE (November 3, 2025) – The Nebraska Music Education Association (NMEA) is pleased to announce the high school students selected to participate in the 2024 Nebraska All-State Ensembles. Each year over 2,000 of the best musicians in the state in grades 9-12 audition for placement in one of four available ensembles. Selection in one of these groups is one of the highest musical honors attainable in Nebraska.
These selected students will take part in the 2025 Nebraska All-State Ensembles November 20-22, 2025 on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. This will include several rehearsals with nationally recognized conductors during the NMEA Conference/In-Service Clinic. Each ensemble will perform in concerts on Saturday, November 22 at the Lied Performing Arts Center.
Ensembles include the All-State Band, All-State Chorus, All-State Jazz Band, and All-State Orchestra. All are welcome to attend these incredible performances at the Lied Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available to the public beginning November 7 for $26 each.
Among the 747 students chosen were:
All State Band: Jack Hayes, bass clarinet, a senior from Auburn Public School.
All State Chorus: Kenechukwu Ofoegbu, Tenor 2, a sophomore from Johnson County Central Public Schools and David Roecker, Bass 2, a junior from Sterling Public Schools.
Selected students will be rehearsing a challenging repertoire in preparation for performing under the direction of four of the most prominent conductors in the United States: Colonel Don Schofield, Commander and Conductor of the United States Air Force Band (Band); Dr. Pearl Shangkuan, Professor Emerita of Music at Calvin University (Chorus); Dr. Eric Richards, Director of Bands and Jazz Studies at Sheridan College (Jazz Band); and Fernanda Lastra, Assistant Conductor and Diversity Fellow at Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra).