The New York State School Music Association will return to Rochester this winter for its annual All-State Festival and Winter Conference, scheduled for December 1 through 4, 2022. Events will be held at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center and the historic Eastman Theatre.
NYSSMA President Russell Faunce said the organization is looking forward to once again bringing student musicians and educators together for live performances and professional development.
“Each year, we look forward to returning to Rochester to see and hear our all-state students perform live,” Faunce said. “As in the past, they will work with outstanding nationally recognized conductors, while our members participate in meaningful professional learning opportunities.”
Centered on the theme “Connect, Belong and Create,” the conference will feature more than 200 professional development sessions for music educators. Many sessions will focus on Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Representation, as well as Social Emotional Learning. Organizers said this year’s conference continues the organization’s post-pandemic focus on rebuilding and revitalizing music programs across New York State.
The 2022 festival will include 569 student musicians performing in five all-state ensembles. Each ensemble will be led by a nationally recognized conductor. The ensembles and conductors include the All-State Vocal Jazz Ensemble under John Stafford II of Kansas City Kansas Community College, the All-State Instrumental Jazz Ensemble led by Julius Tolentino of Newark Academy, the All-State Mixed Chorus conducted by Dr. Derrick Fox of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the All-State Symphonic Band under Dr. Thomas McCauley of Montclair State University’s John J. Cali School of Music, and the All-State Symphony Orchestra led by Dr. James Allen Anderson of the University of Delaware.
NYSSMA is the largest state affiliate of the National Association for Music Education. The organization’s mission is to advance music education throughout New York State by supporting educators and students in member school programs.
Organizers said the return to Rochester underscores the importance of live performance and in-person collaboration as music education continues to recover and grow statewide.
