Boyertown Area Senior High Student Earns Top Spot in State Orchestra

[The following article is an edited version of an article written by Boyertown music teacher Mr. Jeffrey Brunner that was published in the school district digital newsletter, It Bears Repeating!"]

After preparing for multiple auditions at the county, district, and regional levels, Stephen Dudas, a Boyertown Area Senior High (BASH) graduating senior, traveled to the PA Music Educators Association All-State Conference in the Poconos. 

From April 22-25, Dudas was one of 40 violinists who came together from across Pennsylvania to perform under the baton of Paul Shewan, Professor of Conducting, Ensembles and Trumpet at Roberts Wesleyan University near Rochester, NY. Dudas earned the spot of Violin 1 in the orchestra.

“I have played in some great orchestras in PA, but this experience sticks out as my favorite. The conductor was amazing to work with and got the best out of his players. He picked incredible repertoire including music by Elgar, Berlioz, and Copland,” Dudas shared.

Commenting about the experience, Dudas said, “My favorite part of this festival was meeting kids who share my passion for orchestra from across the state.” I “loved talking to the other kids and making new friends. We chatted about our programs and how this experience is incredibly special.” He added that he could not wait to come back to Boyertown and share all his new techniques with his teacher, Mr. Chris Cinquini, and his classmates in the Boyertown orchestra.

For the 2026 All-State Orchestra the student musicians took on a challenging repertoire, including:

Hungarian March……………. Hector Berlioz

Buckaroo Holiday from Rodeo………Aaron Copland

Crown of India Suite, Op.66……Edward Elgar

Introduction Dance of the Nautch Girls March of the Mogul Emperors Huapango…………Jose Pablo Moncayo

The weekend wasn’t only about great practices and an amazing performance. Dudas stayed at the Camelback Resort which includes an indoor water park. Friday evening, he and his friends had free time to enjoy the resort, have fun, and relax. “Those are the moments I will remember the most. We just had fun, hanging out with friends, and of course, making wonderful music. It really was the best concert of my life,” Dudas summarized.

Despite his outstanding music talent, Dudas plans to attend Penn State, at University Park in the fall for aerospace engineering. However, he will also continue to play his violin in the Penn State Orchestras. At BASH Dudas is a member of the orchestra, Select Strings, String Quartet, and he sits Concert Master. Dudas also plays Violon 1 in the Reading Youth Symphony Orchestra and is an active member of BASH’s Stage Crew and National Honor Society.

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