Hinsdale Middle School students selected for inaugural ILMEA Junior High All-State Band

Two students from Hinsdale Middle School, Tommy Fenton (bassoon) and Albert Li (clarinet), have been selected for the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) Junior High All-State Band. According to a statement from the school district, "They represent the best student musicians in Illinois and will be attending the conference to perform alongside their peers from across the state."

This marks the first year that the Junior High All-State Band is included as part of the All-State Student Programs. Tommy and Albert were chosen through a virtual audition process held last fall, which involved 23,000 students from elementary, junior high, and high schools across Illinois. From those auditions, over 7,000 students advanced to district festivals. Only 2,000 were ultimately selected for participation in the 2026 All-State Student Programs.

The upcoming conference is scheduled for January 28-31, 2026 in Peoria, Illinois. Students in these ensembles will perform a series of concerts under the direction of conductors and educators from around the country. The Junior High All-State Concert is set for Friday, January 30 at 6:00 PM at Carver Arena in the Peoria Civic Center.

Hinsdale Middle School is part of Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181, which includes several schools across DuPage and Cook counties such as Clarendon Hills Middle School and Elm Elementary School (source). The district employs 282 teachers with an average salary of $94,227; most are women (source). The student body is composed primarily of White students at nearly 70 percent; Asian students make up over 15 percent (source). In terms of spending, District 181 allocated $31,308 per student in 2020 (source).

"Please join us in congratulating Tommy and Albert on this outstanding accomplishment!"