Upper St. Clair flutist selected to All-National Concert Band

An Upper St. Clair High School junior was selected to the National Association for Music Education’s All-National Concert Band.
Phoebe Chen, a flutist, earned the achievement after successfully auditioning through the 2020 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Concert Band.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, NAfME canceled the in-person All-National Honor Ensembles, originally scheduled to take place Nov. 4-8 in Orlando, Fla. A virtual 2020 All-National Honor Ensembles program will take place Jan. 7-9.
“I’m looking forward to all the new musical experiences that the band can offer,” Phoebe said. “During coronavirus, I’m sure that the arts have become an escape for many people. Additionally, opportunities like this one not only push students to strive for excellence, but they also teach students about collaboration and prepare them for bigger responsibilities.”
In addition to Phoebe’s success within the PMEA and NAfME honor bands, she was named the first-place winner of the Central Ohio Flute Association Competition, Junior Division, in the spring of 2019. She is also a member of her high school’s biology and art clubs.
“Although clubs have been a little different this year because of the coronavirus, it’s also been encouraging to see how hard the staff, teachers and upperclassmen are working to make the most of the situation,” she said.