More Than 50 Katy ISD Student Musicians Earn All-State Honors in Band, Choir, and Orchestra
In a remarkable display of talent and dedication, 54 student musicians from Katy Independent School District (Katy ISD) have been selected for the prestigious Texas All-State music ensembles. This honor represents the top 2.6% of student musicians in the state, following a competitive audition process that began with nearly 70,000 students from across Texas.
The Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) sponsors this annual competition, which recognizes student musicians in band, choir, and orchestra. Students audition in their respective regions and advance through four rounds, eventually competing for a spot in one of the state's elite All-State ensembles. This year, Katy ISD's musicians have earned the highest recognition, marking a significant achievement for both the students and their fine arts educators.
A Milestone for Katy ISD’s Music Programs
“Congratulations to these students for achieving this incredible statewide recognition; students range from their first time earning this recognition to their fourth time achieving this honor,” said Damon Archer, executive director of fine arts in Katy ISD. “I commend their dedicated teachers for their work in leading these talented students and helping them achieve such high-profile recognition.”
The TMEA All-State competition is one of the most competitive musical events in the country. From approximately 70,000 students who auditioned this year across the state, only the top musicians are selected to perform in one of the All-State ensembles, which are divided by grade level and music discipline.
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Top Talent from Katy ISD Schools
The students who earned All-State honors will participate in a four-day clinic and convention in San Antonio, Texas, from February 12-15, 2025, where they will rehearse and perform in front of thousands of music educators and attendees from around the world. Among these accomplished students are four Katy ISD musicians who earned the top ranking in the state in their instrument categories: Caleb Elrod (Katy), Leah Wu (Tompkins), Parham Vakili (Seven Lakes), and Brayden Sanchez (Jordan).
The Road to All-State: A Rigorous Selection Process
The TMEA competition involves a multi-step audition process that begins at the regional level, classified as "District", "Region", "Pre-Area" then "Area". Students perform before a panel of judges who rank each musician. Those who advance to the Area round face further scrutiny before the highest-ranking musicians are selected for the All-State ensembles. Student musicians in Katy ISD are within TMEA's Region 23, the second largest in the state. It is a highly competitive process, and earning a spot in one of these prestigious groups is a significant accomplishment.
The All-State Convention
The TMEA Clinic/Convention, which will take place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, is one of the largest gatherings of music educators and student performers in the world. In addition to the performances by All-State ensembles, the convention features over 300 clinics designed to help music educators improve their teaching practices and connect with other professionals in the field. Students and educators also have the opportunity to explore the exhibit hall, featuring over 600 companies that showcase their musical products and services.
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Katy ISD’s All-State Musicians
Below is the full list of Katy ISD students who earned All-State honors in 2025:
- Cinco Ranch High School: Lakshya Deshpande (Choir), Lucy Ebben (Orchestra), Ryan Gover (Band), Micah Marsh (Choir), Ian Pelton (Band), Srisamhita Ponnapalli (Choir), George Stevens (Band)
- Jordan High School: Ava Cooper (Choir), Samantha Cui (Orchestra), Jeweet Fang (Orchestra), Michael Guo (Orchestra), Jacob Jang (Orchestra), Pranav Kelwada (Orchestra), Zach Lim (Orchestra), Christian Olowookere (Choir), Brian Rhee (Orchestra), Brayden Sanchez (Band), Sasha Shetty (Choir), Kelvin Sun (Orchestra), Maxwell Tang (Orchestra), Nathan Xu (Orchestra), Huanran (Henry) Yu (Orchestra)
- Katy High School: Caleb Elrod (Band), Zoe Guess (Choir), Adryan Pineda (Choir), Mackenzie Simkins (Choir), Joyce Tan (Orchestra), Walter Bryant (Choir)
- Paetow High School: Jude Sepulveda (Orchestra), Walter Bryant (Choir)
- Seven Lakes High School: Joshua Corrigan (Band), Austin Falck (Band), Grace Gamel (Choir), Samir Gandhi (Orchestra), Robert Garcia (Orchestra), Kevin Hu (Orchestra), Jenna Lee (Orchestra), Avery Lindsey (Choir), ChenXi Ling (Orchestra), Olivia Owen (Band), Shugo Sakamoto (Orchestra), Lauren Son (Choir), Bill Sun (Orchestra), Parham Vakili (Orchestra)
- Taylor High School: Avika Nimmagadda (Band), Jennifer Park (Band), Sophia Tang (Orchestra)
- Tompkins High School: Javier Bustillos (Band), Arjun Chandupatla (Orchestra), David Escobar (Choir), Jake Jiang (Orchestra), Kendall Porter (Orchestra), Sreya Sreejith (Choir), Leah Wu (Band), Crystal Yang (Orchestra)
For more information on TMEA and the upcoming convention, visit tmea.org/convention.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
