Queensbury High School seniors Finley Magee and Caitlin Scott and junior Steven Johnson have been selected for the prestigious 2025 NYSSMA Conference All-State Ensembles.
The three students will travel to Rochester in December to represent Queensbury at the NYSSMA Conference, which culminates in a performance at the renowned Eastman Theater alongside the top student-musicians from across New York State. Finley will perform as a soprano with the Treble Choir, Caitlin will play the violin in the String Orchestra, and Steven will play the French horn with the Symphonic Band.
Additionally, violinist Julia Ross was recognized as an All-State Alternate, an honor that reflects her exceptional skill and dedication to the music program.
Finley is a dedicated member of the QHS Music Department. She sings in the Concert Choir and Madrigal Singers under the direction of Matthew Gaulin and has also played in orchestra for seven years. Finley has secured lead roles in multiple Queensbury Musical productions, participated in six All-County Choral Festivals and performed in the 2024 Area All-State Mixed Choir. In addition, she regularly performs with her band, Bravely, alongside her sisters.
Caitlin has been playing violin for eight years. She performs in the Queensbury High School Sinfonietta Orchestra under the direction of Gregory Verheyn and is also a member of the QHS Chamber Orchestra where she is co-concertmaster. Her extensive performance experience includes several All-County Orchestra Festivals and participation in the Area All-State Orchestra. She has performed in and around the community in quartets as well as performed in several QHS Musical Pit Orchestras.
Steven has been an active member of the Queensbury Band Program for seven years. He currently plays in the Concert Band under the direction of James Cirillo and has also participated in Jazz Band and Pep Band and sings in Concert Choir and the QHS Madrigal Singers. Steven is also a member of the Saratoga Youth Symphony. His performance resume includes five All-County Band Festivals as well as the 2023 and 2024 Area All-State Symphonic Orchestra.
The All-State experience begins with the student, a music educator and an accompanist spending countless hours preparing a NYSSMA Level 6 solo which must be selected from repertoire lists in the current manual. They perform for an All-State adjudicator who evaluates the perfo
rmance and provides a score. In most cases, students must receive a perfect score of 100 to be considered.
“Congratulations to Finley, Steven, Julia and Caitlin!” said Gregory Verheyn, Music Department chairperson. “We are incredibly proud of their hard work, talent and dedication, which make them outstanding representatives of Queensbury High School and the entire Queensbury community.”