Six Bemidji High students named to Minnesota all-state choir

Xzayver Curry and five other Bemidji High School singers earned spots in the 2026 Minnesota Music Educators Association All-State Choir, a selection that reflects more than a good season in the concert hall. The school’s vocal program had to produce students who could handle a three-part audition process, with director Dr. Nathan Herfindahl saying the test included an individual art song, an etude and a scale.

That matters in Bemidji because the result points to a deeper pipeline inside the district, not a one-time honor. Students had to show prepared musicianship, technique and consistency under pressure, the same habits that carry from daily rehearsals into higher-level performance. For a school community that often hears about budgets, staffing or athletics, six All-State selections put the spotlight on arts instruction and the kind of school pride that comes from sustained student excellence.

The six students will join the Minnesota Music Educators Association’s All-State Choir Camp from July 28 through Aug. 1 at Concordia College in Moorhead. MMEA describes All-State as the top program of its kind in the nation for high school musicians, with students working alongside world-class conductors, section coaches from top Minnesota music programs and peers from across the state. The camp includes rehearsals, sectionals, recreation and social activities, and the 2026-2027 camp cost is listed at $970.

MMEA named Dr. Mariana Farah as the SATB conductor, Dr. Stephanie Tubiolo for SSAA and Dr. Brandon T. Cash for TTBB. The students will return in February for performances at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis as part of the Midwinter Convention, giving the Bemidji singers another stage on which to represent the district.

The recognition also fits into a wider pattern of music strength at Bemidji High School. Lakeland PBS reported that more than 1,000 people attended the school’s annual holiday choir concert, a sign of the audience the program can draw at home. Show Choirs of Bemidji says Vocalmotive began competing in 1996 and notes that Bemidji High School is one of only a dozen Minnesota schools with a competitive show choir program. Taken together, those details show an arts culture that has been built over years of rehearsals, performances and coaching, and this year’s All-State selections add another marker to that record.