Some of the region’s best and brightest musicians from grades 7-9 are set to convene in the Queen Village as the Camden Central School District and the New York State School Music Association team up to present the 2026 Zone 4 Junior High Area All-State Festival. This year’s festival will be held on Friday, January 30th, and Saturday, January 31st.
Across two days, students from across Oswego, Oneida, and Herkimer Counties will come together to prepare and perform music alongside their high-achieving peers. Each ensemble works under the tutelage of a guest director, allowing students to experience a wider variety of instructional approaches. The orchestra will be conducted by Long Island University Adjunct Professor of Music Tony Pinelli. 2025 SAMMY Awards Music Educator of the Year Holly McCoy will lead the band, and Dr. Deborah Cunningham, an accomplished junior high and collegiate director in the Syracuse area, will direct the choir.
Friday’s schedule consists of rehearsals. Rehearsals continue on Saturday leading up to concerts in the afternoon.
To make it into the Area All-State Festival, a student must audition at a NYSSMA Evaluation Festival with a piece at a prescribed level, and that student must hold one of the highest scores among their peers auditioning at that level to earn a coveted invitation. A total of fifteen schools applied to send students to this festival.
Eleven Camden students will have the honor of taking part here at home. In the Area All-State band, instrumentalists Addyson Schulz, Dante Roselli, and Autumn Schremmer have earned invitations. For the Area All-State Orchestra, Olivia Potter, Naiara Nottingham, Taylor Donaldson, Annabelle Slover, Annabelle Mikitin, and Hayden Nobis will participate alongside a talented group of string musicians. In the Area All-State Choir, Camden will be represented by Kyla Sommerville and Samuel Coleman.
Know Before You Go - Concerts on Saturday, January 31st, 2026
Concert Site: Camden Middle School Auditorium - 32 Union St, Camden, NY 13316
Enter at Door B on Union Street.
Parking: Given the volume of performers, and the number of family members/friends who will be coming to support them, parking will be extremely limited on-site, and in the surrounding areas. To accommodate the number of attendees, the District has arranged for overflow parking at Camden Elementary School, with complimentary shuttle bus transportation provided to the Middle School. Park on either side of Camden Elementary School. Buses will begin running at 2:00 PM.
Concert Schedule
Buses Begin Running - 2:00 PM
Doors - 2:15 PM
Band - 3:00 PM
Orchestra - 3:30 PM
Choir - 4:00 PM
Admission Charge: NYSSMA levies an admission charge to help meet expenses for the festival. Tickets are $7 for adults, and $5 for students. 