We are proud to celebrate a talented group of student-musicians from MMS and RMS who recently performed in the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) Southern Region Middle School Music Festival!

Held at Lincoln Middle School, this prestigious event brought together the finest young musicians from across the region. Our students earned their spots after navigating a rigorous audition process, where their prepared repertoire, technical scales, and sight-reading skills were evaluated by certified professional musicians.

The students were officially recognized for their outstanding accomplishments at the May 26, 2026, Region 15 Board of Education meeting.

2026 CMEA Festival Honorees

Please join us in celebrating these students who proudly represented Region 15:

Rochambeau Middle School (RMS)

• Chorus: Tessa Eager, Clare Perreault
• Jazz Ensemble: Cameron Abramo, Tyler Leonard, Kevin Petrenko
• Orchestra: Mickaela Kwenin, Katherine White, Vidhatri Yarlagadda

Memorial Middle School (MMS)

• Chorus: Harper DiDomenico, Thalia Gotshall, Nina Hamm, Bridget Moffie, Ella Purdy, Alaina Terry, Julia Villadolid
• Jazz Ensemble: Quinn Goodrich, Christopher Zold
• Orchestra: Danielle Ajayi, Gabrielle Ajayi, Justin Mack, Logan Melinosky

The road to the CMEA Festival requires dedication, passion, and significant practice beyond the standard classroom curriculum.

“This achievement represents the culmination of months of intense preparation. To earn their seats, students navigated a rigorous audition process, competing against hundreds of the finest young musicians from across the region by performing complex solo pieces, sight-reading on demand, and demonstrating advanced technical scales. At the festival, they joined forces with the top student musicians in the state, collaborating under the direction of world-class guest conductors to prepare an extraordinary concert," Hannah Maynard, MMS Music Teacher

“We thank the community for their ongoing support of music education and joining us to celebrate these students,” Maynard added.

 Among the participants in the 2026 Middle School CMEAs: Back Row (L-R): Quinn Goodrich, Logan Melinosky, Justin Mack Front Row (L-R): Thalia Gotshall, Julia Villadolid, Bridget Moffie

Not pictured but participated: Tessa Eager, Clare Perreault, Cameron Abramo, Tyler Leonard, Kevin Petrenko,Mickaela Kwenin, Katherine White, Vidhatri Yarlagadda, Harper DiDomenico, Nina Hamm, Ella Purdy, Alaina Terry, Christopher Zold, Danielle Ajayi, and Gabrielle Ajayi.

About CMEA

Since its founding in 1932, the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) has supported more than 1,000 professional music educators across the state, offering competitive and collaborative opportunities that enrich the educational experience for all students through high-quality music programs.