Holly Ryks, soprano, and Mollie Hernandez, alto, from the Albert Lea High School Concert Choir, sang at Orchestra Hall on Feb. 13 in the Minnesota All-State Women’s Chorus.

The girls were two of 320 choral students selected for the All-State choirs out of over 2000 students who auditioned statewide. The Women’s Chorus was under the direction of Kathryn Larson, who stepped in at the last moment to conduct the choir. The women had worked with Doreen Rao of the University of Toronto last summer during All-State Choir camp, but she was caught in the East Coast snowstorm, which prevented her return for the February performance. The choirs presented their programs for the music teachers attending the Minnesota Music Educators Midwinter Conference.

Albert Lea High School choral director, Diane Heaney, the Minnesota Music Educators Association Choral vice president, spent the weekend coordinating all three of the All-State choirs and served as the master of ceremonies at the concert in Orchestra Hall.