Members of Port Chester Middle School and Port Chester High School’s music department earned top awards at New York State School Music Association’s Majors Festival, held at Walter Panas High School.

Port Chester High School’s concert choir earned a gold rating, Port Chester Middle School’s sixth grade chorus earned a gold rating, Port Chester’s seventh grade chorus earned a silver rating, and Port Chester Middle School’s select band earned a silver rating. The high school concert choir is led by choral director Jonathan Pereira, the middle school chorus is led by choral director Mark Zizolfo, and the middle school band is led by band director Linda McDermott.

“Unlike a traditional competition where students compete against others, NYSSMA focuses on individual performance and musicianship,” Pereira said. “What stood out the most about our performance was the students’ technical proficiency, musical expression and overall presentation. The criteria for earning a gold rating typically includes aspects like tone quality, intonation, rhythm, interpretation and technique.”

Date Added: 6/7/2024