Columbia High School Musicians Shine at ILMEA All-State Festival

Each year, the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State Music Festival brings together the most accomplished high school musicians from across the state for an unforgettable week of rehearsal and performance. This year, Columbia High School was proudly represented by three standout students—Jonah Velnosky, Aaron Eisenhauer, and Charlotte Garcia—who earned the distinction of performing at the highest level of student music-making in Illinois.

In addition to the students’ achievements, Columbia High School’s own Kristian Avise-Rouse, director of bands, played a key leadership role in the festival as chairman of the All-State Band.

“It was a great honor to serve the Illinois Music Education Association as the chairman of the All-State Band this year,” Avise-Rouse said.

As chair, Avise-Rouse was responsible for organizing the 150-member ensemble, including assigning parts based on judges’ rankings, distributing music, creating seating arrangements, and coordinating closely with the guest conductor to ensure smooth rehearsals and a successful concert.

This year’s All-State Band was led by Dr. Joe Parisi of the University of Missouri–Kansas City, a renowned jazz trumpeter and conductor.

“He is a brilliant jazz trumpeter and conductor,” Avise-Rouse said. “Dr. Parisi was kind and encouraging and tackled some incredibly difficult music over the course of Thursday through Saturday.”

One of the most powerful moments of the festival came during the combined performance of America the Beautiful, featuring band, choir, and orchestra together on stage.

“Getting to conduct the massive combined ensemble with nearly 600 musicians was the greatest example of the uniting power of music I have personally experienced,” Avise-Rouse said.

A Solo Spotlight for Aaron Eisenhauer

Junior Aaron Eisenhauer earned the distinction of being the highest-ranked trumpet player in the All-State Band, a placement that came with both opportunity and pressure—including a featured solo and individual instruction from Dr. Parisi.

“It was such a great experience to play with the top musicians from the state in All-State Band,” Eisenhauer said. “The music we were given was pretty difficult too, which made me a little scared of how rehearsals were going to end up.”

One piece in particular stood out.

“One of the songs, With Love and Grace, was especially terrifying for me. I had a solo in that piece, and it took a lot of control not to fold under that kind of pressure.”

That pressure paid off, as Eisenhauer performed his solo in front of an audience of nearly 1,500 people.

“In reality, we actually crushed the songs we performed,” he said.

Beyond the music, the festival experience extended into daily life at the Marriott hotel, where band rehearsals and lodging were all under one roof.

“That meant we never had to go outside unless we were looking for a place to eat,” Eisenhauer said. “I remember seeing where the orchestra was rehearsing and being in awe of how beautiful their space was.”

Reflecting on the week as a whole, Eisenhauer didn’t hesitate in his assessment.

“Overall, I would rate the experience a 9.8 out of 10 and would highly recommend participating—or at least going to watch the concerts.”

Jonah Velnosky and the Power of the Orchestra

Senior Jonah Velnosky performed with the All-State Orchestra, an experience he described as one of the highlights of his high school career.

“ILMEA All-State is always one of my favorite times of year,” Velnosky said. “Having the opportunity to perform with some of the most talented high school musicians is an honor.”

His favorite moment came at the very start of rehearsals.

“Starting off the first rehearsal by playing the Andante Maestoso of Jupiter was unforgettable. It is my favorite melody ever written, and it gives me chills every time I hear it.”

The orchestra was conducted by Matthew Shepard, maestro of the University of Chicago Chamber Orchestra, who emphasized not just precision, but resilience.

“He praised us for our lack of mistakes, but also our ability to recover from them, claiming that skill marked a great musician,” Velnosky said.

After more than 15 hours of rehearsal over two demanding days, the ensemble had transformed.

“When we first got here, we were just part of an orchestra,” Shepard told the students. “But now it’s really feeling like our orchestra.”

Velnosky also highlighted the nightly concerts as an essential part of the All-State experience, especially the Friday jazz performances.

“The Friday jazz concert is always my favorite,” he said, featuring multiple elite jazz ensembles from across the state.

A Collective Achievement

While written comments were not available from Charlotte Garcia at the time of publication, her selection to perform alongside Jonah in the All-State Orchestra stands as a significant achievement in itself.

“I am incredibly proud of these three,” Avise-Rouse said, also recognizing eighth grader Gracie Fohne, who participated in the festival at the junior high level. “They experienced the highest level of music-making for students in Illinois.”

For Columbia High School, the 2026 ILMEA All-State Festival was more than a performance—it was a celebration of dedication, excellence, and the unifying power of music.