Monday, May 19, 2025
Hewlett High School’s Sophia Sepe and Rei Preis were selected to take part in the all female Treble Choir at the American Choral Directors Association Festival in Dallas, Texas, from March 19 to 22.
The ACDA’s mission is “to inspire excellence and nurture lifelong involvement in choral music for everyone through education, performance, composition and advocacy,” according to a statement on the group’s website.
Thomas Riley has been the choral director at Hewlett for four years.
“As an ACDA member for over a decade, I can confirm that the association does just what its mission states,” Riley wrote in an email. “This year the conference received over 5,000 submissions nationwide, including 10 from Hewlett High School. We are so proud of Sophia and Rei for their hard work, which earned them each a spot in the National Treble Choir, conducted by the incredible Lynnel Joy Jenkins.”
Each student submitted an online audition containing three components — learn and submit a challenging excerpt of a piece from last year’s conference, submit an excerpt from a song they were familiar with and a sample of them singing scales designated for their voice part.
“The students were given the excerpt of music to be prepared, they learned it on their own, and then each student met with me after school to refine their work,” Riley wrote.
At the festival, the students attended rehearsals, college fairs and various exhibits. They performed at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas.
Sepe is a sophomore and no stranger to the ACDA as she performed with the New York’s ACDA Honors Choir last summer in Albany. She has been singing since fourth grade as an alto.
“I am passionate about singing because it is so rewarding and full of expression, and as someone who grew up dancing her whole life, it’s refreshing to be able to express something as beautiful and powerful as words put to music,” Sepe wrote in an email.
Sepe found out from Riley that she was selected to be part of the festival and said she couldn’t believe it at first.
“Participating in an event as amazing as this festival was absolutely incredible and it meant everything to me,” Sepe wrote. “I was stunned by the amazing experience this really was and singing with 300 other girls from around the country was beautiful and unreal.”
Preis is a ninth grader who is also passionate about theatre and robotics. She is a member of the all female team, Bionica. She began singing in first grade, and is a mezzo-soprano.
“I really love signing, I feel like it’s a way I can truly express myself, it’s an art form that I am in love with and it brings people together,” Preis said.
Preis “jumped up and down” when she found out that she was selected to participate. Riley also told her first-hand and explained why she was picked.
“It felt so much bigger than me, it was so awesome to see girls from across the country and meeting people I would never normally meet,” she said. “We all came for this incredible cause, singing brings us together.”
“I am immensely proud of Sophia and Rei, and I am also very proud of all of our HHS students who were brave and hard working enough to prepare and audition for ACDA last fall,” Riley wrote. “The choir sounded incredibly angelic, and seeing our students on that stage with so many other talented young musicians from all 50 states was simply awe inspiring.”
