Selected to perform in the 2019 All-National Honor Ensembles are 556 of the most musically talented high school students in the United States. With assistance from their music teachers and directors, these exceptional students have prepared challenging music that they will perform under the leadership of prominent conductors in this annual event.
The NAfME All-National Honor Jazz Ensemble, Mixed Choir, Guitar Ensemble, Modern Band, Symphony Orchestra, and Concert Band are organized and administered by the General Program Chair in consultation with the Jazz, Choral, Guitar, Orchestra, and Band Councils under the auspices of the NAfME National Executive Board. In addition to the General Program Chair, there are managers for each ensemble.
Each of the state presidents from the music education associations in the United States, Department of Defense Dependent Schools, and the District of Columbia is asked to oversee the selection process in their respective states during the spring of the school year prior to the event, and to compile ranked lists of recommended high school student musicians for consideration. How the lists are compiled may vary from state to state, although all recommended students must have participated (or will be participating) in their home all-state festivals.
Each selection committee is expected to make its decisions based on the following formula:
Membership from each state is determined by a percentage of the total NAfME membership (e.g., if California has three percent of the total active NAfME members in the Western Division at the end of December, prior to the event, California will be given approximately three percent of the membership in the Band, Orchestra, and Mixed Choir). The membership percentages as of December 31, 2018, were used to determine the selection of the 2019 All-National Honor Ensembles. Membership from the European and District of Columbia MEAs are not represented by a percentage. One student is selected from these areas if the president receives qualified applicants.
The selection committee chooses students for the Jazz Ensemble, Mixed Choir, Guitar Ensemble, Modern Band, Symphony Orchestra, and Concert Band from the state presidents’ ranked lists, maintaining these percentages in each group. The Jazz Ensemble, due to its size and instrumentation, is formed to represent as many geographical areas as possible.
The 2019 Jazz Ensemble has 20 members, the Mixed Choir has 240, the Guitar Ensemble has 39, the Modern Band has 16, the Symphony Orchestra has 121, and the Concert Band has 120 members.
Grateful acknowledgment is given to the parents and friends of the selected students for their cooperation and support as they share in this joyful experience.
