Student Events
Participation in CMEA concert festivals provides students the opportunity to be challenged through the performance of high quality repertoire and to develop relationships with other high caliber young musicians from around our state. Under the direction of the Student Affairs Commission, CMEA produces several auditions and concert festivals during the course of each school year. These include four middle school and four high school regional festivals, an elementary first festival experience and the premier All-State Festival which brings together the finest high school musicians in the state of Connecticut.
In addition to festival experiences, there are opportunities for members to apply to bring their own school ensembles to perform as a showcase ensemble at the CMEA Annual In-Service Conference.
Are you new to CMEA or to bringing students to auditions and/or festivals? Please read this welcome letter here, outlining everything you need to do!
Region Festivals
Students in grades 6 through 12 who attend a CMEA associated school and participate in their school ensemble under the direction of a CMEA member music teacher are eligible to audition for the middle or high school festival in the region that their school district has been assigned (see map). Middle school festivals are strictly for students in grades 6-8 and high school festivals for grades 9-12 only. Festival ensembles include a concert band, orchestra, mixed choir and jazz ensemble with some regions also incorporating a treble choir. Rehearsals take place on a Friday after school and the adjacent Saturday morning, with the concert in the afternoon. Specific information about individual region festivals can be found on each region page.
Click the regions below to see a detailed list of towns for each. To see upcoming auditions and festivals click on the High School or Middle School link in your region:
All-State Festival
There are five All-State Festival ensembles that rehearse and perform in conjunction with the CMEA Annual In-Service Conference over a period of three days. These ensembles are Band, Mixed Choir, Treble Choir, Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble. Students who have successfully completed participation in their high school region festival are eligible to audition for All-State during that same school year, and if selected, will create music alongside the finest high school musicians in our state under the direction of regionally and nationally celebrated conductors.
Students that complete participation in the All-State Festival are eligible to audition for a spot in the National Association for Music Education’s (NAfME) National Honors Ensemble Festival and may also become eligible to apply to participate in NAfME’s biennial All-Eastern Division Festival.
Elementary Honors Festival
CMEA members may nominate their students who are in grades 5-6 for participation in one of three performing groups that make up the Elementary Honors Festival. These consist of a Band, Chorus and Orchestra. The Elementary Honors Ensembles rehearse and perform during a single day as part of the CMEA Annual In-Service Conference. This is an excellent first festival opportunity that challenges motivated and hardworking music students in grades 5-6 from around Connecticut to join to create quality music together. Specific nomination directions can be found on each ensemble’s page.
Adjudicators
Qualified adjudicators are a valued necessity for CMEA Regional and All State auditions. Please consider becoming as an adjudicator and also attend one of our training sessions. Help to select the finest young musicians for our festival ensembles while providing these aspiring young musicians with positive and constructive feedback that will help them continue in their musical growth.
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