Two Baldwin High School Students Named NYSSMA All-State Musicians

Baldwin High School students, Brandon Firth and Rohan Khan, have been designated New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) All-State Musicians—a highly selective set of ensembles comprising seniors and juniors, representing the best of New York musicians. All-State is considered the highest state honor for student musicians.

André Poprilo, the district’s fine & performing arts director, expressed his pride in the incredible talent and dedication displayed by the Brandon and Rohan.

“Our entire music staff rejoices when we hear the news of our students being recognized as All-State musicians,” he stated. “Our elementary, middle school and high school music educators played a role in preparing these fine musicians, and we could not be any prouder of the outcome.” 

“Congratulations to Brandon Firth and Rohan Khan for being recognized as All-State musicians,” stated Dr. Neil Testa, principal of Baldwin High School. “Their ongoing achievements make us very proud, and this accolade underscores their exceptional musical talent.”

The All-State Musicians are selected out of thousands of applicants from across the state who demonstrated excellence on the highest level of difficulty during the NYSSMA solo and ensemble evaluations conducted last spring. The students must be recommended by their music teacher and are required to prepare a NYSSMA level VI All-State solo, which is evaluated by a NYSSMA Certified All-State adjudicator.

Brandon was selected for the brass instrument, Euphonium, while Rohan Khan was chosen for the French horn. In addition, Brandon was recognized as a Tenor 2 – Alternate.

As part their designation as All-State Musicians, both students are invited to perform in the Symphonic Band at the annual NYSSMA Winter Conference in December.