Bronxville HS Students To Represent District, Community At Music Conference

Bronxville High School senior Alekzandra Thoms will perform with the All-State Mixed Choir at the conference, while junior Michael Landy will play oboe with the All-state Symphonic Band at the popular event.

The 2015 NYSSMA Winter Conference will be held the weekend of Dec. 3 at the Rochester Convention Center, with concerts in the Eastman Theatre.

Both students were chosen for the prestigious honor based on the proficiency they demonstrated at the NYSSMA solo festival last spring, beating out nearly 7,000 sophomores and juniors from across the state that auditioned to become one of 900 high school students chosen to perform in one of eight musical ensembles at the annual conference.

Thoms has extensive musical talent, calling herself a “sixth-generation professional singer.” Her father, Jason, is the dean of arts and science at Concordia College, where her mother is a professor of music. Her younger brother is a seventh grader at Bronxville Middle School, where he looks to become a composer. Her grandfather, Hollis, is also a composer of more than 140 works for a variety of ensembles.

“She possesses a beautiful soprano voice, and I rely on her to lead the soprano section in chorus,” Bronxville High School chorus director Pamela Simpson said.

Landy is a member of both his high school band and the Westchester County Band, which gives summer performances in the area. He has also been a student of Alan Hollander - an oboist and professor of music at Lehman College – since he was in fourth grade.

The junior becomes the second consecutive member of the high school band to earn all-state honors, following Kyle Swanson last year. Other honorees include Holly Rudd in 2008 and clarinetist John Devlin in 2002.

“Michael’s virtually flawless audition for all-state last spring was one of the best student auditions I’ve ever heard,” Bronxville High School Band Director Sharon Slote said. “(He has a) beautiful tone and exceptional sensitivity to style.” 

Click here to follow Daily Voice Eastchester and receive free news updates.