February was a peak month for Pagosa music students.
The highlights began with five students representing Pagosa Springs at the Colorado all-state choir festivals during the first two weeks.
Pagosa Valor Academy students Hudson Mazur, Avonlea Thomas and Connor Thomas earned spots in the Colorado High School All State Choir with their auditions in October 2025.
After learning of their acceptance in November 2025, they set to work to learn the advanced repertoire for the Colorado All State Choir Festival in Denver Feb. 5-7.
After passing their second audition to prove their music is memorized, they spend two days with expert clinicians.
The festival culminated in a sold-out concert at the Buell Theater on Feb. 7.
At the concert, Mazur and Connor Thomas performed in the Colorado All State Mixed Choir under the direction of Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated composer and conductor Jake Runestad while Avonlea Thomas performed in the Colorado All State Treble Choir under nationally-renowned director Dr. Lynda Hasseler.
The Colorado All State Choir is the distinguished choir for 11th- and 12th-grade students, with an audition process that is well-known as one of the most rigorous in the country.
“Our students worked hard and preparation was well rewarded at our All State experience,” stated Valor Voices Choir Director Kathleen Martinez. “Over 4,000 students auditioned and only 580 total were accepted, so our kids were in the top 15 percent of the state. Our students were so blessed to study under Dr. Eugene Rogers and Dr. Lynda Hasseler for three days and have the opportunity to perform on the stage of the Buell Theater.”
Pagosa Springs Middle School (PSMS) is also proud to congratulate eighth-graders Karlie Rose and Wells Witting for their participation in the Colorado Middle All State Choir (CMASC) Feb. 12 and 13.
Both students undertook the challenging middle school audition for the state-level choir in October 2025.
In November 2025, both were accepted into the prestigious choirs made up of seventh- and eighth-grade students.
Out of the 1,653 students who auditioned across the state, only 545 students were accepted and placed into one of the three CMASC choirs.
On Feb. 13, the CMASC Festival peaked with a concert at the Bellco Theater.
Rose performed with the CMASC Mescolare Choir under the directorship of Mary Biddlecombe, a senior lecturer in music education and choral studies at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University.
Following the Mescolare Choir, Witting performed with the CMASC Cambiato Choir under sought-after vocal clinician Mr. Joel Duarte, the director of choral studies at the prestigious Booker T. Washington High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas ISD.
“Making it through the audition process for an all-state choir is the choral equivalent of qualifying for a state-level sports competition,” said PSMS Choir Director Katrina Thomas. “Then the process of preparing for the festival is quite rigorous. The experience overall is often labeled ‘indescribable’ by our students and families. It is a huge honor and an incredible opportunity that we are so thrilled our students get to participate in.”
“All State was probably the most fun I had all year,” stated Rose. “This was the first time I have been in a choir where everyone has earned their way to be there. Every single person I met at All State was so kind and accepting of the people around them. Our director, Mrs. Biddlecombe, was very kind and patient. She helped us with our dynamics and pronunciation.”
“It was the most energy I’ve ever felt in one room,” Witting added.
“I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about the Colorado Middle All-State Choir. Watching my child be part of something this special was such a proud and emotional experience for our whole family,” wrote parent Jennifer Rose in an email. “From the very beginning, the audition process was rigorous and incredibly competitive. When my daughter received her acceptance in December, we knew this was something truly prestigious. Being selected among roughly 600 of Colorado’s top 7th and 8th grade singers is an honor that speaks volumes about the level of talent and dedication involved.
“The two-day event at the Colorado Convention Center and Bellco Theatre was nothing short of magical. The rehearsals were fast-paced and intense, and students were absolutely expected to come prepared. Yet Mrs. Katrina [Thomas] and Mary Biddlecombe (director for Karlie’s group) were inspiring, professional, and clearly invested in bringing out the very best in every young adult there. The growth I saw in just two days was remarkable.
“The final concert? Goosebumps. Truly. The sound of hundreds of young voices blending together with that level of precision and passion was breathtaking. You could feel the emotion in the room. It was powerful, polished, and deeply moving — a memory of a lifetime not just for the students, but for all of the families in the audience.
“These talented young singers came from all over Colorado, yet they connected instantly through music. The sense of community was beautiful to witness.
“We are so thankful that Karlie had the opportunity to be part of something so meaningful, and magical.”
February choral festivities continued with the Choral Festival in Pagosa on Feb. 20 with guest conductor Dr. McNeill and the 50-member Colorado Christian University Choir (see details in Feb. 19 and 26 editions of The SUN).
February also saw Pagosa students highlighted in two elite regional events.
PSMS and Pagosa Springs High School band students participated in Fort Lewis Honor Band in Durango.
At the end of the month, eight students from PSHS and Pagosa Valor Academy were honored at the Western Slope Honor Choir in Gunnison (see separate article in next week’s SUN).
>