Symphonic Band Sweeps All Awards at State of the Art Catholic Band Competition

It was a banner weekend for Saint Viator musicians. 

At the annual State of the Art Catholic Band Competition, the Symphonic Band was named Grand Champion of the festival—scoring highest out of all 14 competing bands across all classes. 

That’s not all. They placed first in class 2A and swept all of the caption awards in the class, including Best Woodwinds, Best Brass, and Best Percussion.  

“It was a brilliant performance,” said Band Director Benjamin Clemons. “Their dedication to this craft is truly inspiring, and I could not be more proud to be their teacher.”

This is only the second time Saint Viator has been named Grand Champion in the 41-year history of the competition, with the other title coming in 2015. Members of the Knights of Columbus launched State of the Art in 1982 as a way to showcase band programs in Catholic schools and encourage music education.

This year’s festival took place on Feb. 19 at Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox. SaintViator students performed two pieces, including Amparito Roca, a  bullfighting-inspired march by Spanish composer Jaime Texidor and Cajun Folk Songs by Frank Ticheli, which open with a free-flowing alto saxophone solo, whose lyrical passage passes through all instruments in the band.

The competition took place in the gym at Providence, and the size and acoustics of the venue provided as big a challenge to Saint Viator band members, as performing their selections. 

“We usually rehearse in our wonderful band room at Saint Viator, which has amazing acoustics for our type of ensemble,” Mr. Clemons says. “At State of the Art, we performed in a gym that could not sound any more different from our normal playing environment.  

“The students adapted and navigated this challenge with incredible maturity,” he said. “On top of all that, they were expressive and conveyed the messages of the music to the audience and adjudicators.”

In the end, Mr. Clemons attributed the band’s success to their preparation and poise on the day of the competition.

“Making music at a high level requires an intense level of concentration, as the students are doing much more than simply playing the notes and rhythms on the page,” he said. “They have to adapt and respond to their environment and make adjustments to their volume, style, or pitch based on what they are hearing in the moment.  

“We have spent much of our school year learning how to improve these skills in class,” he added, “and the students' hard work paid off with a brilliant performance.”

Congratulations to all band members!

Vincent (Cedrik) Alcedo
Gianna Bentz
Dylan Chudy
Michael DiMucci
Julia Domagala
Margaret Fecko
Diego Flores
Sydney Grant
Thomas Hegberg
Jennifer Jarog
Grace Kelly
Owen Kelly
Ben Klimas
Ben Konopka
John Krause
Ryan Li
Trevor Lyon
Aidan McLeod
Finn McLeod
Julian Montesinos
Maggie Mrema
Benne Mweene
Moira Newell
Michael O'Connor
David Orrechio
Brendan Patton
Ryder Schuch
Jake Serpico
Benjamin Sheldon
Nevaeh Szparkowski
Mary Grace Townsend
Kara Tschanz
Reanne Valera 
Ronan Valera 
Katherine Watson

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Saint Viator High School

1213 East Oakton St. 
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
TEL: 847-392-4050
Located in Arlington Heights, IL, Saint Viator High School is a private, co-ed, Catholic school for grades 9-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.