Five Dozen Talented Ritenour Students Selected for Prestigious Music Festivals & Concerts

Five dozen talented Ritenour music students from Ritenour High School, and Hoech and Ritenour middle schools participated in several prestigious winter festivals and concerts in January and February: The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) Bi-State Bands Festival, the St. Louis All-Suburban concerts and the 2025 E. Desmond Lee Festivals. 

Four Ritenour High School band students were selected for and performed at the renowned SIUE Bi-State Bands Festival on Jan. 18 were: Kevin Rodriguez, trombone, as part of the Cougar Honor Band; Trenton Thudium, baritone saxophone with the White Festival Band; Bryce Jost, trumpet, as part of the White Festival Band; Alex Halon, euphonium, with the White Festival Band.  

In January, Hoech Middle School’s music students participated in the selective St. Louis All-Suburban concerts: Seventh-grade violinist Lael Noh performed with the All-Suburban Orchestra; eighth-graders Gorgeous Whitehead and Kammie Harris sang in the 7-8 Mixed Choir; seventh-graders Savanna Jeter, Dekyrah Conley, Salina Kelsey, Noorfatimah Alajaj, Azalea Andrews and Brianne Obando-Lobo performed in the 7-8 Treble Honors Choir.

 

The following Ritenour music students participated in the 2025 Des Lee Festivals, which were held at the Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus on Feb. 4-5:

Ritenour High School

Honor Band: Bryce Jost, trumpet; Kevin Rodriguez, trombone; Thomas Moyle, French horn; Aniyah Henderson, percussion; Alex Halon, euphonium; Rosa Rivas Gutierrez, flute and piccolo; Riley Phil Panaligan, flute; Jared Loane, tuba; Emma Hicks, bass clarinet

Choir: Jayden Nelson, Saphira Carson, Jaliyah Butler, Katrina Kesselring, Khalid Royal, Eliijah Davis, Damien Jessmon and Ryland Weeks 

Orchestra: Sandri Hernandez-Escobar, 1st violin; Madelyn Jacobsmeyer, 2nd violin; Kailyn Gomez and Madison Tabor, viola; Anneliz Tavarez Munoz and Nathan McCline, cello; Egypt Draper and Joel PortilloTurcios, bass

Hoech Middle School

Choir: Kyndall Holterfield, Shanaya Williams, Drew May, David Garrido, Romika Patil and Phoenixx Daniels 

Orchestra: violinists Kammie Harris, Jimena Hernandez Macias, Xander Gonzalez and Janik Lopez, and cellist Kylie Grover 

Ritenour Middle School

Band: Sherrie Compton, clarinet; (JB) Janae Bennet, percussion; Dalynn Hall-Gates, trumpet; Aydin Smith, tuba

Choir: Amy Minster, Khloe Allen, Devonte Little, Gwyndolynn Leonard, Emily Rodenberg, Quiniya Jones, Tre’Von McCaw and Mackayla Duke

Orchestra: Jadira Barahona, double bass; Violet Lubkeman and Kimari Rice, violin