Amelia first auditioned for and was selected to participate in the PMEA District 1 Chorus Festival Concert, representing The Ellis School as one of 17 mezzo-soprano voices in the performance held on February 11. She then auditioned for the Regional Chorus and was among the top scores accepted into this next level, placing third out of all mezzo-soprano competitors from Allegheny, Westmoreland, Greene, Fayetteville, and Washington counties. Amelia will perform at the PMEA Regional Chorus Festival on March 24 and 25 at the Franklin Jr./Sr. High School. She will then sing with the PMEA All-State Chorus at the All-State Festival on Friday, April 8 at the Kalahari Convention Center in the Poconos.

“I have so enjoyed watching Amelia grow as a singer, musician, and competitor throughout this process,” says Choral and Vocal Teacher Gail Mosites, who has worked with Amelia in Glee Club and through private lessons for the past three years. “Participation in the PMEA Festivals is a significant undertaking for students, as well as a great honor. I’m so proud of Amelia’s hard work and talent.”

Amelia, who has performed in a variety of singing groups and musical theater productions both on campus and throughout the Pittsburgh area, shares that she is grateful for the opportunities she has had to express and explore her passion for music at Ellis.

“The confidence and music theory skills I’ve learned from my work with Ms. Mosites, along with the support and encouragement of my peers, really bolstered my confidence and enabled me to put forth my best efforts for my PMEA auditions,” she says. “Additionally, because of the in-depth work I’ve done in my voice classes, I was well-prepared for the competition in pronunciation and stylization. I'm thrilled to have made it to Regionals and extremely proud to represent Ellis!”