Governor Doug Burgum on April 26th, announced that the West Fargo Sheyenne Sinfonia Orchestra and Grand Forks Central Chamber Choir have been selected as the 2024 Governor’s Official State Band and Choral Programs.

“It is an honor to recognize the talented students and directors of the West Fargo Sheyenne Sinfonia Orchestra and the Grand Forks Central Chamber Choir. Congratulations to these two outstanding groups of young people who do an exceptional job representing their schools, their communities and our state,” Burgum said. “Music and the arts play a vital role in the health and vibrancy of our communities and are a valuable piece of our students’ education. The members of the West Fargo Sheyenne Sinfonia Orchestra and the Grand Forks Central Chamber Choir are shining examples of the incredibly talented musicians in our North Dakota schools.”

The West Fargo Sheyenne Sinfonia Orchestra, a 45-student ensemble, is currently under direction of Rich Gonzales and Sadie Eddleston. The ensemble is made up of a diverse group of student musicians, athletes, speech and debaters, artists, dancers and thespians. The West Fargo Sheyenne Sinfonia Orchestra was selected via audition to perform at the 2024 North Dakota Music Educators Conference in Bismarck in March 2024. Over the past two years, many student musicians have auditioned and been accepted into the UND Honor Orchestra and North Dakota All State Orchestra. Members of Sinfonia may audition for placement in the extracurricular Chamber Orchestra and Mustang Quartet, both of which perform in the Fargo-Moorhead community regularly. The West Fargo Sheyenne Sinfonia Orchestra is the first orchestra to be selected as the Governor’s Band by Burgum.

The Grand Forks Central Chamber Choir, under the direction of Geoff Mercer, is comprised of 18 students at Grand Forks Central High School in grades 9-10. Students in the Chamber Choir are known for their high level of academic achievement within the school and are active in leadership positions within the school, including student government, athletics, academic clubs and fine arts organizations. The Chamber Choir routinely places a large number of students as participants and soloists in both the North Dakota Middle Level All State Choir and the North Dakota High School All State Choir.

The Governor’s Band and Chorus were selected from applications submitted by school and civic groups from across the state based on musical talent, achievement and community involvement. They may be invited to perform at official state functions throughout the year.