Keokuk High School sophomore receives highest individual Iowa High School musician honor, selected as member of 2023 All-State Chorus

Keokuk High School sophomore receives highest individual Iowa High School musician honor, selected as member of 2023 All-State Chorus

KEOKUK, Iowa – Keokuk High School sophomore, Carter Killoren has attained the highest individual honor as an Iowa high school musician when he was selected as a member of the 2023 All-State Chorus.

“Carter is a remarkably talented young man with a profound passion for singing and performing,” Jason Woodley, KHS music director, said. “Even more noteworthy, he is a kind-hearted individual who genuinely cares for others.”

District Auditions for the 278-piece All-State Band, 214-piece All-State Orchestra, and 601-member All-State Chorus were conducted on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at various locations including Le Mars, Hampton, Independence, Atlantic, Indianola, and Washington. This year, 2,300 students auditioned for a place in the All-State ensembles, making it an extremely competitive selection process. Approximately 25% of the students who auditioned with Killoren were chosen for membership in the All-State ensembles. The All-State Festival is hosted by the Iowa High School Music Association and the Iowa Music Educators Association to bring together the best of Iowa’s high school musicians in a showcase of talents. The All-State Festival in 2023 is the 77th anniversary of the event.

All-State Festival participants will gather for rehearsals in Ames on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 17 and 18, culminating with the Festival Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 18 at Hilton Coliseum, at Iowa State University, in Ames.

Seats must be reserved and tickets for the All-State Festival Concert are $30 each, plus service fees. Tickets are on sale after 10 a.m., Oct. 24, at www.ticketmaster.com.

The Festival will be broadcast by Iowa PBS, for broadcast dates go to www.iowapbs.org. For further information or inquiries, please contact Jason Woodley at Keokuk High School.

For more information on the festival or music at KHS, contact Jason Woodley at jason.woodley@keokukschools.org.