GCHS student selected to play at Carnegie Hall

Garden City, KS(westernkansasnews.com) Colten May, a senior at Garden City High School, has been selected for the 2018 High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  He will perform on the euphonium in February with the 2018 International Honors Band.  Participation in one of the five Honors Ensembles is limited to the highest-rated high school performers from across the world.

Earlier this year, Colten May auditioned for the Honors Performance Series and was accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board.  Acceptance to the elite group is a direct result of the talent, dedication, and achievements demonstrated in his application and audition recording.  Colten will join other performers from all 50 United States plus the District of Columbia, Guam, six Canadian provinces, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand, Qatar, South Korea, and the United Kingdom for a special performance at world-famous Carnegie Hall, a venue that marks the pinnacle of musical achievement.

According to Morgan Smith, Program Director, “Being selected to the Honors Performance Series is something each Finalist should be extremely proud of accomplishing. We processed more than 18,000 nominations this year and have selected nearly 700 of the most talented student performers from around the world. Working with these conductors and performing at Carnegie Hall is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that these musicians never forget”.

Colten has studied music for 8 years and is a member of the Garden City High School Wind ensemble, the top Senior High Jazz ensemble, and has been selected in both district and state level honor bands in Kansas. In response to his selection as a Finalist, Colten said, “I could never have imagined myself in this position. It took a leap of faith to audition for this band and I was fortunate enough to pull a finalist spot. The community couldn’t be more supporting and I can only hope I will make the cut for the cost of the trip. Thank you so much to everyone who has stood by my side on this journey.”

Finalists will come together in New York City for five days in February. They will have the opportunity to learn from world-renowned conductors, work with other Finalists, and get a taste of New York City. Two performances, an Honors Choral Performance and an Honors Instrumental Performance, will take place Sunday, February 4, and are open to the public. Tickets can be purchased beginning 60 days prior to the performance through the Carnegie Hall box office.

The Honors Performance Series was created to showcase accomplished individual high school performers on an international level by allowing them to study under master conductors and perform in the celebrated venue, Carnegie Hall. The Honors Performance Series is proudly presented by WorldStrides, the nation’s leading educational travel organization.

May will be holding fundraising events on Saturday, November 18, and Sunday, November 19, to raise funds to attend the concert in New York.  The first event, “Jammin with Colten to the Big Apple”, will be held on Saturday, November 18, at 9:00 p.m. at the Fool Moon Saloon, 1621Taylor Ave., (18-21 with a parent).  The second event will be a come and go dinner, $10 a plate, held at the Fool Moon Saloon on Sunday from 5:00-7:00 p.m.