Best of the West Music Festival returns to NPCC Oct. 23

Heather Johnson

North Platte Community College will showcase the talents of the top high school musicians in the area Oct. 23.

NPCC’s music department will host the Best of the West Music Festival on its south campus, giving high school students selected through an audition process the opportunity to perform at the collegiate level.

“We implemented auditions this year to make it truly, ‘Best of the West,’ and to provide students with exposure to the auditioning process - something they will find more often as they progress through the music world,” said Kristin Simpson, NPCC music instructor.

Thirty-one high school musicians from nine schools were selected for inclusion in the festival. They are:

1. Anselmo-Merna – Aaron Bartak 

1. Arapahoe-Holbrook – Lael Rathbun

1. Chase County – Alex Alarcon, Chloe Dittler, Brendan Pump

1. Creek Valley – Micahel Lutz 

1. Gothenburg – Lathan Buesing, Mavrix Butterfield, Brant Miller, Claire Vincent, Alec Winney 

1. Hershey – Katie Abbott, Christian Allen, Lillie Fuscher, Rachel Heines, Evelyn Lewis, Ruby Nutter, Alexis Reed 

1. North Platte St. Pat’s - Porter Connick, Derek Ebmeier, Chloe Guo, James Heirigs, Bennett Korensky, Will Krondak, Jarrett Miles, Aashi Naidoo, Dimitri Pettit

1. Stapleton – Madilynn McEntee 

1. Wallace – Colt Franklin, Jesus Gomez, Booker Lehman

The high school students will spend all day rehearsing ahead of an open to the public performance when they will join members of the college’s concert choir and jazz band on stage for the NPCC Fall Concert. Simpson will lead the choir, and Jennifer Winder will direct the band.

The concert is free to attend. It will begin at 6 p.m. in the McDonald-Belton Theater on the NPCC South Campus, 601 W. State Farm Rd., in North Platte.