Region & All-State

Region Bootcamp at Cy-Fair High School

  • Dates
    • August 1- 4
  • Times: 9 am – 12 pm daily
  • Location
    • Cy-Fair High School Orchestra Room: 22602 Northwest Fwy, Cypress, TX 77429
    • enter through the back. Turn into the parking lot off Cypress North Houston between the two baseball fields and head forward until it dead ends in the school. The orchestra room is right there.
  • Cost: $50. You can pay online here.
  • Teachers
    • Violins – Dr. Lisa Burrell, Lone Star College 
    • Violas – Lacy Thwing, Director of Orchestras @ Cy-Fair HS
    • Cellos – Scott Card, Principal Cellist of Opera in the Heights Orchestra
    • Bass – Aaron Johnston, Director of Orchestras @ Cy-Fair HS

Violin Etudes

All-State Violin Excerpts

Violas Etudes

All-State Viola Excerpts

Cello Etudes

All-State Cello Excerpts

Bass Etudes

All-State Excerpts

All-State Orchestra & Audition Process

After the Region Audition the top students from each instrument group in the Region Orchestra are allowed to audition for the Texas Music Educators Association’s All State Orchestras. There are three All-State Orchestras for the state of Texas and making it into one of these ensembles is huge honor and extremely competitive. The orchestras play at a professional level and are conducted by university and professional conductors (e.g. the assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic, Joshua Gersen, conducted the 2nd orchestra last year). All rehearsals and performances will take place in February at the annual TMEA conference which is usually held in San Antonio.

Audition Process from 2020-21

  • August 1
    • Excerpts are released on TMEA website for the All-State Audition (only learn these if you plan on auditioning for All State).
    • Region Etude minimum cuts issued by the state
  • October 9 (Saturday) – High School Region 27 Orchestra Auditions at Memorial High School. Only the cuts from the two etudes are required. Orchestra winners announced that same day.
  • October 30 (Saturday) – All-State Area Taping Auditions at Bridgeland High School. The three etude cuts and three excerpt cuts are required from the September 1 TMEA posting.
  • November 10 (Wednesday evening) – Region Orchestra String Sectionals at Jersey Village High School
  • November 19 & 20Region 27 Orchestra Clinic and Concert with conductor Dr. Alexander Jimenez at Cy-Park High School.
  • February 9 – 12 – TMEA Convention and All-State Rehearsals. All-State Orchestra Concerts are on Saturday, Feb. 12.