Each year, SDUSD holds auditions for districtwide honor ensembles, combining the talents of the most skilled and hardworking singers and musicians across our 17 high schools!

The  2024 Choir, Concert Band, and String Orchestra were held on the same weekend (along with the middle school variations of those events) at the Civic Theater and the Jazz concerts (Instrumental and Vocal jazz, high school and middle school) were held at Hoover High School a few weeks later.

2025's choral event was held separately from the concert band/orchestra event, with choral kicking off the honor season  followed by band/orchestra and then jazz.
Detailed info for 2025 is on THIS WEBSITE .

There are five high school ensembles you can audition for -
Treble Choir (for Soprano, Mezzo, and Alto singers)
Bass Choir (for Tenor, Baritone, and Bass singers)
Honor  Band (for wind and percussion students who wish to perform in a concert band - and potentially with strings for full symphony orchestra pieces)
Honor Orchestra (for bowed string players)
Honor Jazz Band (for students in Jazz Ensemble courses)
Honor Jazz Choir (for students in any music course who can/want to sing)

See below (and the plaque on the wall of rm 404) for a list of students from our school who have participated in the honor ensembles from CHHS!  Records are fairly comprehensive for the last 20 years of CHHS/SHS Music Department SDUSD Honor Ensemble members - but we're definitely missing a few years of data. Email Mr Fiedler if you have more info to share!

Some honor ensemble fun facts:
*CHHS/SHS has a strong record of representation in the honor ensembles, with at least two students representing our school each year the honor ensembles were convened. 
*The most students CHHS/SHS sent to the honor ensembles was 11 (in 2019) -
but we also sent 10 in both 2024 and 2011! A big accomplishment from a "smaller" school.
*In 2024 we held the distinction of being the first school to have students accepted into all  of the honor ensembles (Choral, Band, Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Vocal Jazz). 
*In the 2010s, auditions and rehearsals for the honor band and orchestra were held here, representing a convenient central location for students around the city.
In the 2020s the groups outgrew our space and auditions moved online. 
*Mr Voutour (CHHS Marching Band director) is a CHHS/SHS alum and was a member of the 2014 honor band!
*Chaneol Choi (2022) holds the distinction of being the only CHHS/SHS student (so far) to qualify for two different ensembles in the same year - Honor Orchestra and Honor Choir. 
*Since 2009 we have had 6 different students honored as principal players in their sections
*Being accepted into the ensembles 2 consecutive years is a difficult undertaking, let alone 3 or 4! Since 2007, 11 CHHS/SHS students have made it into the ensembles 3 consecutive years. 3 students (Emily Chasin, Max Tooley, and Jose Orozco Jr) were accepted all 4 years they attended CHHS/SHS.
*In 2024, Dr Jeffrey Boeckman from the University of Hawaii - a CHHS/SHS alum! - was guest conductor of the honor band. 
*Mr Fiedler (CHHS Music Director) has managed one or more SDUSD Honor ensembles since 2020 
*In 2020 the honor ensembles were canceled due to the Covid 19 pandemic - but auditions took place, and so did the first rehearsal - so students who made it in are still honored.
*In 2021 the honor ensembles were completely canceled due to the Covid 19 pandemic. When the program was resumed in 2022, the 2020 guest conductors were invited back and accepted their positions.