Schools

Bensalem Trombone Player Top in Nation

A Bensalem High School senior will perform with the All-National Honors Ensemble in Nashville.

When it comes to trombone players, Bensalem High School may just have one of the best under its roof.

Senior Neal Williamson is among one of four trombone players in the nation selected to perform in the prestigious National Association for Music Education All-National Honor Jazz Ensemble concert in Nashville, Tenn. later this month. 

Neal was selected as first chair for the performance, which ranks him as the number one trombone player in the country, according to a press release issued by the school district. 

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He will join more than 670 of the most musically talented and skilled high school students in the United States to perform at a gala concert on Oct. 30, in Nashville. These exceptional students will prepare remarkably challenging music that they will perform under the baton of four of the most prominent conductors in the United States: Dr. Peter Boonshaft, Miriam Burns, Rollo Dilworth and Rodney Whitaker. 

“Neal works amazingly hard and is so focused on his goals,” Mike Zimmerman, director of bands at Bensalem High School said. “He is an outstanding musician and trombone player, and a strong leader. We are all very proud of him.”

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The NAfME All-National Honors Ensembles, consisting of a concert band, symphony orchestra, mixed chorus, and jazz ensemble, are organized by members of the National Association for Music Education. 

The concert band and symphony orchestra will each have approximately 150 instrumentalists, the jazz ensemble will have 20 instrumentalists, and the mixed chorus will have approximately 350 vocalists. Eligible students have qualified for their state-level honor ensemble program and competed against top students for a spot in these national honor ensembles.

To learn more

The 2013 NAfME All-National Honors Ensembles will perform for an audience of thousands on Oct. 30 in the Presidential Ballroom of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, in Nashville, Tenn. For program and ticket information please visit: http://musiced.nafme.org/all-national-honor-ensembles/


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