National High School Honors Orchestra The next NHSHO will take place in 2010 in Santa Clara, California.

What is the National High School Honors Orchestra? The National High School Honors Orchestra (NHSHO) is a performing group of 120 competitively selected high school musicians who assemble biennially to perform at the ASTA National Conference.   How are the students selected for membership in the NHSHO? Junior and senior students apply for the orchestra through the state chapters of ASTA.  They submit an audition tape/CD of required literature and three minutes form literature of their own choosing.  The state coordinator (selected by the state ASTA president) and an audition committee select up to thirty tapes/CDs to forward to the national level.  Separate audition committees for strings, winds, and percussion select the 120 students for the orchestra.  The students are required to be members of their school orchestra.  Students must follow the application process as stated above to be considered by the national committee.   When was the NHSHO established? In 1986, the first orchestra convened in Anaheim CA, under the direction of James DePriest.  Subsequent performances took place in Indianapolis; Washington DC; New Orleans; Cincinnati; Kansas City; and Phoenix.  On two occasions the orchestra reassembled to tour and perform in conjunction with international conferences in Helsinki, Finland and Tampa, Florida.   Who conducts the NHSHO? Such internationally recognized, eminent conductors as Elje Oue, David Gilbert, James DePriest, Jose Serebrier and Jung Ho Pak are invited to conduct the NHSHO.  They work with the orchestra for three days of intense rehearsals in preparation for the final performance.  For 2010, the conductor will be Scott Speck.   For more specifc information please contact Libby    at Libby@astaweb.com or 703-279-2113 x 28    Important Note  (Effective starting with NHSHO 2010) Students who have been invited and who have accepted to be part of the National High School Honors Orchestra may not also be a participant in a National Orchestra Festival group, the Alternative Styles Awards program, or the finals of the National Solo Competition in the same national conference year. This participation restriction is due to overlapping event schedules which will cause disruption to the overall experience for all participants of each program. Students may apply for more than one event, but must accept only one if offered multiple event opportunities within the same conference year.