Each year, band students in the South Central Region of Virginia, the largest region in the entire state, audition for the South Central Regional Orchestra. This prestigious honor awards band students’ work in and out of the classroom alongside their musicianship skills. After receiving the honor, students come together to prepare and perform an orchestral piece led by a guest conductor.

While COVID-19 has prevented in-person performances and rehearsals, the South Central Regional Orchestra honor is still being awarded. This year, three HHS students got the honor: seniors Ethan Malcolm and Ryan Secrist and freshman Cindy Liu. Malcolm and Secrist received their honor for percussion while Liu received it for the oboe. Liu and Malcolm received first chair, the highest honor a student could receive. Only 30 students total in the South Central Region of Virginia received the honor for wind and percussion. HHS was one of the two schools to have the most students receive this honor in the region. 

To audition, students had to submit their auditions virtually to a panel of music directors. While the process won’t go any farther than that due to CDC guidelines, the honor is still being presented to band students.