50 state string orchestra project
JESSE COLLETT + BENTONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL ORCHESTRAS
BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS
Bentonville High School Chamber Orchestra is the elite orchestra at Bentonville High School and is determined by audition. It is comprised of 35-40 serious student musicians, grades 9 through 12. The focus for this ensemble is to develop the highest level of ensemble playing and develop professional-level skills and expectations to compete at a national level. The difficulty range of music performed by this ensemble is grade 4 through 6. The BHS chamber orchestra plays regular concerts throughout the community. We also send smaller ensembles to play at public and private events allowing students to experience professional-level expectations. The members of this ensemble are expected to audition for All-Region and All-State orchestra ensembles as well as participate in 4 BHS Orchestra concerts throughout the school year and Concert Assessment in the spring. This ensemble competes regularly at National competitions and clinics. The BHS Chamber Orchestra has competed and performed in festivals and clinics in New York City, Dallas, Kansas City, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Tampa, Albuquerque, Orlando and Nashville. The BHS Chamber Orchestra placed 3rd in the ASTA National Orchestra Festival in 2016 and competed for the Orchestra cup in New York City in 2017 and 2022. We were awarded 1st Runner up at the National Orchestra Cup in NYC in March of 2022
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Jesse Collett has been the director of Bentonville High School Orchestras since 2009, whose orchestras serve over 200 students. Collett conducts four string orchestra ensembles at BHS and the BHS Symphony Orchestra. He is also the music director for BHS musicals, conducting a full pit orchestra.
Collett has completed a Bachelor of Music degree in 2000 and Master's degree 2008 in Viola Performance from the U of A. He has also completed a performance certificate degree in 2009.
Beyond his teaching responsibilities at BHS, he serves as Principal Violinist for the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas under Paul Haas, Principal Violist for the Ft. Smith Symphony under John Jeter, and is regular substitute musician for the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra.
Collett has been the lead director of Bentonville orchestras since 2009, where he frames the instruction of the beginning players around the Suzuki philosophy for the first two years. The focus of the instruction is to develop excellent technique, intonation and sound quality through memorization.
The BHS Chamber Orchestra is the elite orchestra, determined by audition, and is one of four thriving orchestras at BHS. The BHS Chamber Orchestra has competed and performed in festivals and clinics in New York City, Dallas, Kansas City, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Tampa, Albuquerque, Orlando and Nashville. The BHS Chamber Orchestra placed third in the ASTA NOF in 2016 and competed in the Orchestra cup in New York City in 2017.
about
the 50 state
string orchestra project
2022-2024
The 50 State String Orchestra Project is a large-scale consortium commission that is bringing new music to classrooms and concert halls all over the US in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons, with educational and community orchestras in all 50 states commissioning a new piece for string orchestra, similar in difficulty level and scope to Stephanie’s 2011 work for string orchestra Beyond the Gate. Her consortium commissions for chamber music have already brought new string-centered music all across the world, from her 50 State Sonata Project for violin + piano, inspired by the work of her teacher John Kendall, and her World Sonata Project, which was commissioned by violinists from 35 countries in 2016.