Lindsey Jobbins of Haines will sing at Carnegie Hall in February.
Jobbins, a 17-year-old soprano and Haines High School junior, qualified to perform in the storied concert hall in New York City as part of the High School Honors Performance Series, a national showcase that draws from the nation’s best musicians.
Students who qualify to perform at all-state music events are eligible to apply for the program.
Jobbins and schoolmates Zayla Asquith-Heinz, a bass clarinetist, and Rachel Haas, who sings alto, also performed at the All-State Music Festival held in Anchorage Nov. 23. Alto Grace Jones also qualified.
Of 868 students who auditioned statewide, only 368 were selected to play at the festival that culminated with performances at Anchorage’s West High School.
Jobbins is a lifelong singer who started playing piano at age 4. Singing at Carnegie Hall is an honor she earned, said piano teacher Nancy Nash.
“She deserves it, definitely,” Nash said, recalling an early photo of Jobbins asleep by her piano. “She liked it so much she napped by it, and that’s the way she still is today. Lindsey is top quality. She works hard, but she also just enjoys it.”
Jobbins taught herself to play flute and percussion instruments. She helps teach music to fifth-graders and is a devoted member of the Haines Women’s A Capella Choir, Nash said.
Jobbins sang a solo at the all-state honor festival here in 2013, a rare honor for a sophomore. A “wonderful” adjudication she received for singing John Duke’s adaptation of “Loveliest of Trees” at last spring’s Southeast Honor Festival helped propel her, Nash said. “That was a big thing.”
In an interview, Jobbins gave credit to Nash and to high school music teacher Kristy Totten, and support she’s received from her family. The prospect of singing at Carnegie Hall is daunting, she said. “I’ve looked at the pictures. It scared me a little bit.”
But Jobbins said she’s also looking forward to the opportunity to make music with some of her most talented peers from around the country. She recently had a similar experience singing at the all-state event. “It’s really cool. It’s such a big sound, and the sound is all good.”
To qualify she was required to submit two recordings, a biography and a teacher’s recommendation. Jobbins’ recordings included “Loveliest of Trees” and “Dona Nobis Pacem,” a classical short.
Jobbins may be the first Haines High School student to perform at Carnegie Hall in about 30 years.
Trombonist Rich Cooper, a 1984 graduate and first-chair trombonist for America’s Youth in Concert, toured Europe and played at Carnegie Hall as a student. He was later inducted into the Alaska High School Hall of Fame and in 2009 won an Emmy Award for cinematography.