Illinois Music Education Association Announces All-State Winners

Seven Galesburg High School musicians were selected for the 2026 ILMEA All-State Programs. Left to right (top to bottom): Mohamed Shehata, Carter Bohm, Charlie Ament, Joshua Cobb, Emily Edwards, Jorgiana Donald, and Sophia Huizenga. Photo courtesy of Galesburg CUSD #205.

By - Amy Pickrel, Galesburg CUSD #205

During this past fall, 23,000 students from elementary, junior high and high schools around Illinois participated in a virtual audition process and of those auditions, more than 7,000 students were selected to participate in district festivals celebrating student musicians in bands, orchestras, choruses and jazz ensembles.

Students in grades 7-12 who participated in the ILMEA District Festivals are also eligible to be selected into ILMEA’s Junior and Senior All-State Student Programs. This year, 2000 students were selected to participate in the Illinois Music Education Association’s 2026 All-State Student Programs in Peoria, Illinois, from January 28-January 31, 2026.

This January also marks the inaugural year for Junior High All-State Band and Junior High All-State Orchestra, being a part of the All-State Student Programs, joining the Junior High All-State Chorus that began in 2025.

Galesburg High School is excited to announce that the following students will participate in the all-state program: Charlie Ament, Carter Bohm, Joshua Cobb, Jorgiana Donald, Emily Edwards, Sophia Huizenga, and Mohamed Shehata.

The All-State Student Programs run concurrently with the Illinois Music Education Conference, the premier professional development opportunity for music educators in Illinois. This event brings over 12,000 students, educators, parents and music education industry vendors to the Peoria Civic Center to celebrate and promote music education in Illinois.

For more information on the Illinois Music Education Association and opportunities for student musicians and music educators, please visit www.ilmea.org.