Iowa Junior Honors Orchestra

Ninth grade Oskaloosa students selected to perform in the Iowa Junior Honors Orchestra concert from left to right:
Gavin Higgins, Sage Cochran and Sophia Dykstra. (submitted photo)

Three Oskaloosa students were recently selected to perform in an honor orchestra event to be held at Iowa State University. Ninth grade students selected from Oskaloosa include: Sage Cochran – violin, Sophia Dykstra -viola and Gavin Higgins – string bass. The Iowa Junior Honors Orchestra Festival is a state-wide honors string orchestra experience. It is a one-day event, held at the same time as the Iowa All-State Music Festival and the Iowa Music Educators Association state convention. It is held on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, in the same complex as the convention and All-State. There are two orchestras of equal ability in the festival, each with about 90 participants. The groups are composed mainly of 8th and 9th graders, with a few advanced 7th graders. The application process requires nomination by either the student’s orchestra director or private instructor. To be nominated, a student is required to be able to perform at a high level for their age.