On Saturday, Feb. 20, the Greenville High School Suzuki Strings ensemble, including violinists, Jessica Bosquet and Julie Hollister, violist, Shea Garland, and cellist, Ryan Garland, traveled to Longview High School to compete alongside seven other school districts in the Regional UIL Solo and Ensemble competition for strings. Their quartet performance of the 3^rd movement of Mozart’s 2^nd quartet in D major in the Ensemble earned them a Division I rating, the highest award given. The ensemble’s rating has qualified them to compete in the Texas State UIL Competition, which will be held at the University of Texas at Austin on May 28 and 29.

Bosquet, Hollister, Garland and Garland have participated and progressed through the Suzuki program since they were elementary school students. In addition to the Mozart quartet movement, each competed in the solo division as well. Solo and Ensemble pieces chosen from the UIL Prescribed Music List were selected for the students with the assistance of GISD Suzuki Instructors, Muriel Kerr and Margaux Pisula, at the beginning of the school year.

Advancement to the state competition can only occur by performing a piece from memory and receiving a Division I rating. Both Bosquet and Hollister performed Grade Three violin solos from memory and received a Division I rating, the highest rating awarded. Shea Garland performed the first and fourth movements of the Telemann viola concerto with music and received a Division I rating. Ryan Garland performed the Prelude and Minuets I and II from Bach’s first cello suite in G Major from memory and received a Division II rating. Both Garland and Garland’s pieces were Grade One solos, which is the most advanced.

The Suzuki Strings program is a part of GISD’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) initiative. For more information on the Suzuki Strings program at GISD, contact Muriel Kerr at kerrm@greenvilleisd.com.