Youth Orchestra
Darian Hawkins
Darian Hawkins is 2024 honor graduate of O’Fallon Township High School. During the 2023-2024 school year, he participated in the National Honor Society, National Music Honor Society, OTHS Symphonic Winds, SIUE Suzuki Tour Group, SIUE Advance Chamber Ensemble (concertmaster) and the Belleville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (concertmaster). Darian currently studies the violin, clarinet; piano. He began the SIUE Suzuki String Program at the age of 9 years old (studying Books 1-10 under the tutelage of Erika Lord-Castillo and Allison Woerner). He has received superior ratings in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Solo and Ensemble (2021-2023) with the violin and clarinet. He was selected for the Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) All District Senior Orchestra (2020-2023) and ILMEA All-State Orchestra (2021-2023). Darian participates annually in the Belleville Philharmonic Intergenerational Orchestra (concertmaster 2024). He also participated in the BI-STATE Honors Cougar Band (2024), OTHS Music Pit (2022-2024). Edwardsville Summer Symphony (2023; 2024) and the McKendree University’s Clarinet Choir and Honor’s Clarinet Quartet (2023). Darian won first place in the John and Kay Kendall Concerto Competition Intermediate Division (2019) and first place in the Advance Division (2023). He placed second in the 2023 Tuerck Concerto Competition. Darian enjoys attending Sunday school, reading fictional novels, creative writing, playing the flute and viola and listening to music. He will attend SIUE in the fall of 2024 to study music education. He aspires to become an educator, conductor, and Suzuki instructor.
