During this past fall, 23,000 students from elementary, junior high and high schools around Illinois participated in a virtual audition process and of those auditions, more than 7,000 students were selected to participate in district festivals celebrating student musicians in bands, orchestras, choruses, and jazz ensembles. 

Students in grades 7-12 who participated in the ILMEA District Festivals are also eligible to be selected into ILMEA’s Junior and Senior All-State Student Programs. This year, 2000 students were selected to participate in the Illinois Music Education Association’s 2026 All-State Student Programs in Peoria, Illinois from January 28–January 31, 2026. This January will also mark the inaugural year for Junior High All-State Band and Junior High All-State Orchestra being a part of the All-State Student Programs, joining the Junior High All-State Chorus that began in 2025. 

Students in the performing ensembles represent the best student musicians in Illinois and came together to present a series of All-State Concerts. On Friday, January 30, the Junior High All-State Concert will take place at 6pm in the Carver Arena at the Peoria Civic Center, and the 2026 Jazz Night Concert will feature a night of music performed by the student vocal and instrumental jazz ensembles in the Civic Center Theater. The All-State Elementary Chorus, Senior All-State Concert, and the Senior Honors Concerts will be presented on Saturday, January 31, 2026. 

The All-State Student Programs run concurrently with the Illinois Music Education Conference, the premier professional development opportunity for music educators in Illinois. This event brings over 12,000 students, educators, parents, and music education industry vendors to the Peoria Civic Center to celebrate and promote music education in Illinois.

For more information on the Illinois Music Education Association and opportunities for student musicians and music educators, please visit www.ilmea.org.

ILMEA Jr. High Musicians:

Ava Anderson – Choir

Alanna Armstrong – Choir

Veronica Artis – Bari Saxophone

Chareigh Bland – Choir

Lucas Bloom – Trombone

Aubrey Bouton – Flute

Lilyana Breweur – Clarinet

Emily Daniels – Choir & Vocal Jazz

Claire Domaszewicz – Violin

Maggie Foust – Choir

Sonya Johnson – Violin

Ashlynn Kinsman – Flute

Aaryanna Laxton – Choir

Kaden Powell – Tuba & Vocal Jazz

Caleb Prater – Choir

Carson Puckett – Trombone

Ellison Stanley – Choir

Erin Stubblefield – Choir

Lilian Swingle – Violin

Olivia Vandegraft – Choir

Desmond Vargas-Sutton – Choir & Jazz Band

Kiera Weaver – Oboe

ILMEA PCHS High School District Musicians:

Halle Bloom – Choir

Madison Dare – Violin

Ashlyn Gilliam – Clarinet

Braxton Hiatt – Violin

Thomas Simonsen – Cello

Aubri Sluser – Jazz Alto Sax

Addison Telford – Choir

Alexis Tunis – Viola

Ronan Weaver – Cello

Tanner Wooten – Flute

ILMEA Junior High All-State Musicians:

Claire Domaszewicz – Violin

ILMEA PCHS High School All-State Musicians:

Ashlyn Gilliam – Clarinet

Ronan Weaver – Composition