Despite brief technical difficulties, eleven musicians from St. Mary's Academy who performed at the Oregon Music Association (OMEA) District Solo and Ensemble Festival excelled, with three qualified to compete at the State Level. Chelsea Delgado (voice), Cecily Reverman (voice), and Katrina Peterson (piano) all earned the honor to participate in the OMEA State Solo Contest on Saturday, April 29th at Corban College in Salem.

Peterson showed nerves of steel when she won first place of more than 15 pianists at the District competition. During her Liszt Etude, the whole pedal assembly fell apart on the piano and she had to wait while it was repaired and start over again.

"She played beautifully under pressure," says Randall Hobson, St. Mary’s Music Director. "We’re all very proud of her."

Other St. Mary’s performers included Angie Olson (voice), Kelsey Grierson (saxophone), Hayley Raetz (voice), Emily McFadden (bassoon), Madeline Schaefer (voice), Lindsay Olson (voice), Rebecca Purcell (voice), and Sarah Goff (piano). All but two received the highest score of "1".

The Oregon Music Education Association (OMEA) is a nonprofit educational association whose purpose is to provide professional in-service educational experiences through district and state conferences, clinics and journals for music educators and music students in Oregon's schools. The Association provides the leadership for district and state educational activities in music to serve the students of Oregon.

Founded in 1859 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, St. Mary’s Academy of Portland, is Oregon’s oldest continuously operating secondary school and one of 716 all-female schools in the country. The student body represents a diverse background of young women from over 30 urban, suburban, and rural communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington. St. Mary’s Academy is distinguished by its development of the whole person, and is the only school in the state to receive three U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools awards.