KMEA All-State 56A Band

All-State 56A Band
Century II Concert Hall
Sat - Feb. 28, 2026 - 3:00 PM

Robert Ambrose
2026 KMEA All-State 56A Band Conductor
Conductor Robert J. Ambrose enjoys a highly successful and diverse career as a dynamic and engaging musician. His musical interests cross many genres and can be seen in the wide range of professional activities he pursues. Dr. Ambrose studied formally at Boston College, Boston University and Northwestern University, where he received the Doctor of Music degree in conducting.

Dr. Ambrose currently serves as Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Georgia State University a research institution of over 53,000 students located in Atlanta. His duties at Georgia State include conducting the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, running the highly successful graduate wind conducting program and overseeing the entire large, comprehensive university band program. His graduate conducting students have received multiple honors and hold conducting and teaching positions throughout the United States and in multiple foreign countries.

Dr. Ambrose is in constant demand as a guest conductor and has performed on four continents. Recent engagements include performances in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan as well as across the United States. He is Founder and Music Director of the National Chamber Winds, a professional wind dectet based in Washington, D.C. as well as Founder and Music Director of the Atlanta Chamber Winds and Ensemble ATL, ensembles comprising musicians from the Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Opera, and Atlanta Ballet Orchestras.

Dr. Ambrose has strong ties to the Finnish music community. He is frequently engaged in that country as a guest conductor, teacher, master clinician, and lecturer. Guest conducting appearances include the Finnish Navy Band, the Finnish Army Band, the Helsinki Police Band, the STM Summer Music Festival Wind Orchestra, the Rauma Wind Band, and the youth wind bands of Kokkola, Kotka, and Rauma. He has taught conducting workshops throughout the country and has served as a guest lecturer multiple times at the Central Ostrobothnian Conservatory and the Sibelius Academy.

Ambrose is a prolific arranger with nearly two dozen publications to his credit. His transcriptions and editions are published by Presser Music, Murphy Music Press, C. Alan Publications, Fennica Gehrman (Finland), and Edition Tilli (Finland). His transcriptions appear on several state lists and have been performed around the world.

2025-26

Piccolo
  1. Sarayah McClure, Olathe-Northwest
  2. Alt. - Reagan Gallentine, Overland Park-Blue Valley
Flute
  1. Agnes Choi, Manhattan
  2. Lena Wasij, Wichita-Heights
  3. Lauren Hannah, Lawrence-Free State
  4. Lizzie Herron, Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest
  5. Sydney Young, Overland Park-Blue Valley West
  6. Carson Brooks, Shawnee-Shawnee Mission Northwest
  7. Riley Olson, Olathe-East
  8. Aurelia Fuehne, Olathe-East
  9. Faith Paulakovich, Kansas City-Piper
  10. Maya Gu, Wichita-East
  11. Jackie Martyn, Goddard
  12. Reagan Gallentine, Overland Park-Blue Valley
Oboe
  1. Olivia Wang, Overland Park-Blue Valley
  2. Mara Pederson, Maize
  3. Ella Wang, Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest
  4. Ethan Ye, Overland Park-Blue Valley West
  5. Alt. - Robert Vollen, Maize-South
Bassoon
  1. Austen Williams, Wichita-Northwest
  2. Alexa Rieder, Gardner-Edgerton
  3. Sophia McMillan, Wichita-North
  4. Violet Ridgway, Shawnee-Shawnee Mission Northwest
  5. Alt. - Noah Beauchamp, Shawnee Mission-South
B-flat Clarinet
  1. Calista Hubler, Olathe-Northwest
  2. Mete Berkoz, Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest
  3. Logan Durham, Spring Hill
  4. Audrey Geering, Manhattan
  5. Clara Becker, Olathe-Northwest
  6. Kara Mauer, Overland Park-Blue Valley West
  7. Graden Moyer, Olathe-Northwest
  8. Jack Koebbe, Shawnee Mission-South
  9. Ben Dang, Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest
  10. Presley Yearout, Goddard
  11. Shreeya Bhatia, Overland Park-Blue Valley North
  12. Rocio Moreno, Wichita-South
  13. Alexander Al-Murrani, Topeka-Washburn Rural
  14. Layla Brost, Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights
  15. Bailey Buck, Olathe-South
  16. Rebecca Tang, Derby
  17. Kans Nguyen, Wichita-East
  18. Charlie Keeler, Lawrence
  19. Xuehui Hong, Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest
  20. Maxwell Diediker, Olathe-Northwest
  21. AJ Giron, Olathe-Northwest
  22. Connie Freeman, Shawnee-Shawnee Mission Northwest
  23. Isabella Li, Overland Park-Blue Valley North
  24. Hannah Kang, Overland Park-Blue Valley
Bass Clarinet
  1. Owen Dunkley, Olathe-North
  2. Jacob Wood, Manhattan
  3. Asher Dyke, Wichita-West
  4. Brady Rees, Olathe-South
  5. Alt. - Maxton Branstetter, De Soto
Contra Clarinet
  1. Nolan Wills, Olathe-Northwest
Alto Saxophone
  1. Eli Moon, Shawnee Mission-East
  2. Liam Pfenninger, Derby
  3. Owen Quach, Overland Park-Blue Valley
  4. Athan Smith, Topeka-West
  5. Alt. - Linnea Blankenship, Kansas City-Piper
Tenor Saxophone
  1. Nicholas Miller, Shawnee Mission-South
  2. Benjamin Alexander, Shawnee Mission-South
  3. Alt. - Parker Jarvis, Overland Park-Blue Valley
Baritone Saxophone
  1. Henry Beckland, Shawnee-Shawnee Mission Northwest
  2. Alt. - Jackson Anderson, Olathe-South
Trumpet
  1. Kaiden Cook, Topeka-West
  2. Spencer Caron, Overland Park-Blue Valley West
  3. Layton Chanvitayapongs, Shawnee Mission-South
  4. Andrew Koettker, Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest
  5. Matthew Barber, De Soto
  6. Nicholas Hayden, Topeka-West
  7. Truman Harber, Shawnee Mission-East
  8. Megan Hodges, Olathe-North
  9. Devin Kaminski, Leavenworth
  10. Everett Jiao, Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest
  11. Jackson Nichols, Overland Park-Blue Valley
  12. Kyler McCormick, Gardner-Edgerton
  13. Keagan Crocker, Shawnee Mission-South
  14. Alexis Martinez Alcala, Emporia
  15. Kaden Raines, Topeka-Washburn Rural
  16. Alt. - Joseph Trejo, Dodge City
Horn
  1. Ellie Okediji, Olathe-North
  2. Nathan Turner, Derby
  3. Ben May, Olathe-Northwest
  4. Addison Petrik, Valley Center
  5. Max Ivener, Olathe-Northwest
  6. Trent Bechtel, Olathe-Northwest
  7. Xavier West, Leavenworth
  8. Marcus Janssen, Olathe-East
  9. Alt. 1 - Kate Deardorff, Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest
  10. Alt. 2 - Helena Philipp, Pittsburg
Trombone
  1. Jude Roos, Overland Park-Blue Valley
  2. Brenley Grant, Maize-South
  3. Neil Clark, Overland Park-Blue Valley West
  4. Alexander Rippel, Olathe-West
  5. Lilly Battese, Olathe-East
  6. Liam Jones, Spring Hill
  7. Colton Geist, Shawnee Mission-West
  8. Max Perchellet, Shawnee Mission-North
  9. Lizzie Searl, Olathe-Northwest
  10. Felipe Fernandes-Senkowski, Shawnee Mission-East
  11. Alt. 1 - Elijah Watkins, Wichita-Southeast
  12. Alt. 2 - Tremel Franklin, Topeka-West
Euphonium
  1. Cooper Matthews, Maize-South
  2. Tyler Smith, Olathe-Northwest
  3. Dyan Dobratz, Overland Park-Blue Valley Southwest
  4. Grady Wall, Olathe-South
  5. Alt. - Jack Kennedy, Olathe-East
Tuba
  1. Matthew Bryan, Gardner-Edgerton
  2. Alex Harlow, Gardner-Edgerton
  3. Zachary Roberts, Junction City
  4. Blake Kelly, Topeka-Washburn Rural
  5. John Dunbar, Overland Park-Blue Valley North
  6. Eliseo Crow, Olathe-South
  7. Alt. - Joel Jackson, Wichita-Heights
String Bass
  1. Lincoln Helms, Olathe-Northwest
Percussion
  1. Ellie Piezuch, Shawnee Mission-South
  2. Halen McClure, Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest
  3. Audrey Schoenig, Spring Hill
  4. Caleb See, Olathe-South
  5. Kimball Morris, Manhattan
  6. Nick Pedigo, Olathe-Northwest
  7. Ben Pittman, Manhattan
  8. Michael Kovach, Maize-South
  9. Henry Olson, Olathe-West
  10. Alt. 1 - Hayden Luzader, Gardner-Edgerton
  11. Alt. 2 - Neal Compton, Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest
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