Choral Students Earn All-National Competition Spots

The musical showcasing of Hamden Hall’s Music Department continues its path of excellence as senior Cooper DeGirolomo and junior Monte Meng have earned spots in the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) All-National Choir Ensemble in their respective vocal parts.

“I am proud that the work we do at Hamden Hall affords our students opportunities to successfully engage with music on a national stage,” said Upper School Music teacher Matthew Harrison. “It gives students perspective to understand that music-making is more global than our classrooms. Our students are prepared to encounter any musical situation and actively engage in collaborative experiences.”

Cooper and Monte earned their spots following their Connecticut All-State auditions last year. They will be performing with other students from around the country at the National Conference. Junior Casey Armstrong and sophomore Jacob Schonberger have been selected as alternates for the All-National Choir.

According to Mr. Harrison, in order to qualify for All-National Choir, students must first audition for Regional Honor Choir, in which about 40 schools compete for spots. After scoring within the top percentage, students are invited to sing with Regional Honor Choir and may audition for the Connecticut All-State Choir, which is broken into four regions. Each vocalist must earn a spot at or near the top and successfully submit a virtual audition and application to be considered for the NAfME All-National Choir and NAfME All-Eastern Division.

Last year, Hamden Hall had a record-breaking 20 students participate in the Connect All-State Choir. Senior Justinian Ding was the first student to earn a spot in All-Nationals in back-to-back years.  

The 2022 National Conference will take place on November 3-6 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.