Brittany Dagro
Calhoun High School senior Brittany Dagro was selected to attend the All-State New York State School Music Association Conference in Rochester this year. Dagro belongs to many musical orchestras and has often held the position of principal cellist. She is a member of the Sinfonia Youth Orchestra, the Gemini Youth Symphony, the Long Island Youth Orchestra, the C. W. Post Orchestra and the New York Youth Symphony.
Dagro is a member of the National Honor Society, the Italian National Honor Society and the Tri-M Music Honor Society. She is also a contributor to the school's literary magazine, Pegasus, and the school newspaper. And she writes poetry and runs.
Dagro's goal is to become a professional cellist in the New York Philharmonic and to teach in a conservatory.
Tyler Lee
Calhoun junior Tyler Lee will be headed to the All-State NYSSMA Conference in November. Lee has won many musical awards, including All-USA Top 100 musicians, All-State Certificate of Merit, All-County, third place in the LISMA International Competition, and was accepted to the Westminster Solo Artist program and the New York Opera Studio Vassar Classical Vocal program. He is a member of the drama group, the Crescendo show choir and an associate member of the Oberon Theatre NYC. Lee takes piano, vocal and acting lessons, and has a purple belt in jujitsu. He is a National High School Scholar and a member of the Key Club and Model United Nations.
Lee hopes to enter a conservatory or major in music in college.
Christopher Huang
Kennedy High School senior Christopher Huang's interests include math, science, history, track, baseball and music. He will take part in the All-State NYSSMA Conference this year. He participated in the All-County String Festival and the Long Island String Festival. He is on the baseball, spring and winter track teams, and is a member of the science club, Yorker Club, math team and pit band.
As a musician, Huang participates in the St. Barnabas Youth Group and plays music for the senior citizens. He volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, and distributes hot chocolate and cookies in Bellmore Village at Christmas.
Huang hopes to attend Tufts University to pursue a career in medicine while maintaining his musical studies.
Audrey Szepinski
Calhoun junior Audrey Szepinski will attend the All-State NYSSMA Conference. She is a formidable student who belongs to many clubs and has won several awards. Musically, Audrey takes piano and violin lessons. She also gives back to the community by tutoring in piano and reading. Szepinski is a member of the Spanish and Science honor societies. She won the Women in Chemistry Award from St. John's University and a poetry award from Adelphi. Szepinski belongs to the Science Club, American Civil Liberties Union and the film critics club.
Szepinski will major in English at John Hopkins University.
Sean Cotty
This year, NYSSMA instituted a new award program in the piano category. Calhoun's Sean Cotty was selected to attend the 2006 All-State NYSSMA Piano Showcase. Cotty has performed in many award-winning recitals, and has written and performed his own original music, "It's Jazzical," "Classical States of Mind" and "Fantasia in D Minor." His awards and honors include All-County jazz band for five years, where he also played the trombone, All-State Young Composers' Honors, PTA Reflections National Award of Excellence, first-place musician in Nassau County's Reach for the Stars Teen Talent Search and the Bellmore-Merrick Cultural Arts Council Award. He participated in the Friends of the Arts Summer Jazz Workshop and Festival, and the Burgos International Music Festival in Burgos, Spain.
