Middle School Band

2026-27

Clinician Anya Pogorelova

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Anya Pogorelova

Anya Pogorelova is the Director of Bands at Washburn University where she teaches courses in music education, conducting, and directs the Marching Ichabods, University Band, and the Washburn Wind Ensemble. Prior to joining the music faculty at Washburn, Anya taught at the middle school, high school, and collegiate level in Saskatchewan, Georgia, and Missouri. As a passionate advocate for access to music education for all, Anya is the founder of the Topeka New Horizons Band and previously served as the assistant director of the Roeland Park New Horizons Band. She maintains an active schedule as a clinician and guest conductor throughout the country and is consistently inspired by the next generation of young musicians. Most recently, Anya was selected as the winner of The American Prize in Conducting, college/university wind ensemble division. She is a proud alumna of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory (DMA, MM), Georgia State University (MM), and the University of Saskatchewan (BM Hons, BEd).

1. Students will audition via mp3 recording through Festival Scores. Audition recordings must be uploaded by the audition deadline.
2. Please fill out your student profiles as completely as you can. This is the only way the Chair can get the correct information to each school and student.
3. Audition material for all instruments will be taken from the Essential Technique for Band. These materials are selected on a two-year cycle.
4. A chromatic scale will also be played in addition to the etude. It is written out for each instrument and provided on the website.
   Rules for Chromatic Scale:
   1. Students should perform their chromatic scale at the written tempo: quarter note = 120 bpm
   2. Students should SLUR UP the scale, and TONGUE DOWN the scale.
   3. Students should strive to play the full written range, however, if this is not possible they should play their most comfortable range while following the guidelines above in rules "a & b."
5. Snare drum percussionists will play the exercise with a multiple bounce buzz roll. Quarter note at 120.
6. Timpani percussionists will record tuning the timpani followed by the exercise with no fermatas. Quarter note at 120.
7. Bell lyre, orchestra bells, xylophone, and the marimba are acceptable for mallet auditions. Mallet percussionists will play the same chromatic scale as listed above for wind instruments in addition to the etude. Please record the scale first followed by the etude.
8. Each percussion instrument audition must be on a separate recording.
9. No accompaniment playing with audition material.
10. Directors, please listen to the recordings before submitting them. In the past, background noise or incorrect recording has ruined a recording for a student.