Four DV singers earn All-State Chorus

Performance Saturday in Pittsburgh WESTFALL — The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association has selected four Delaware Valley High School singers to the 2010 Pennsylvania All-State Chorus. Juniors Nadege Hoeper, Jason Sandonato and Jonathon Fornoff and sophomore Robert Vargas were selected to the PA All-State Chorus as a result of auditions held in Harrisburg on March 12. Students advance to the all-state ensembles through a series of auditions at the district and regional levels, a process that begins each year in October. In order to be selected, students must rank in the top six in their voice part among students from PA Region V, an area encompassing more than 150 high schools in eastern Pennsylvania. Selection to the all-state ensembles is the highest state honor a music student can achieve. This is the first time DV has had four students selected to the PA All-State Chorus in one year. Nadege sings alto and second soprano with the DVHS concert choir and chamber choir, performs with the drama club, is a member of the cheerleading squad, TATU, Broadcast DelVal and the National Honor Society, and is student council vice- president. She also serves on the PA School Board Association as the student representative for Delaware Valley. Nadege lives in Shohola with her parents, Gregory and Lorraine. Jason, a tenor, sings with the DVHS concert choir and chamber choir, plays trombone in the DVHS concert band, jazz band and symphony orchestra, sings with community music groups, is cantor and choir member at his church, and is a member of the National Honor Society and the DVHS golf team. Jason was also selected to last year’s All-State Chorus. He is the son of Ernest and Diane Sandonato of Milford. Jonathon sings baritone with the DVHS concert choir and chamber choir, plays bass in the orchestra, performs with the drama club, and sings with his church choir and community music groups. This is his second all-state selection. Jonathon is the son of Jeffrey and Diane Fornoff of Milford. Robert Vargas is a member of the tenor section in the DVHS concert choir and chamber choir, plays viola in the school orchestra and chamber orchestra, is assistant director of his church choir and a member of the high school tennis team. Robert, of Milford, is the son of Sylvia and Roberto Vargas. Nadege, Jason, Jonathon and Robert will join 200 singers from across Pennsylvania on April 21-24 in Pittsburgh. Gordon Pauling, their music teacher at DVHS, will supervise their musical preparation for this event and will accompany them to the festival. Mr. Frank Bianchi, professor of music at the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music and director of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus will direct this year’s All-State Chorus. The concert is scheduled for Saturday, April 24, at 4 p.m. at the Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.