Buffalo High School

Orchestra students from Buffalo Community Middle School and Buffalo High School came together for the fourth annual Summer Orchestra Camp from July 7–11. Throughout the week, students rehearsed in both large and small groups, with BCMS students also receiving mentorship from high school musicians.

For the second time in as many years, the Buffalo High School Repertory Orchestra has achieved the rare feat of emerging from intense regional competition to perform on stage at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.

That the group did so under extraordinarily difficult circumstances this spring makes the achievement that much sweeter.

The ensemble was one of only three ninth-grade groups, and 11 groups in all, to earn the two “Superior with Distinction” ratings necessary to advance to the showcase State Middle Level Festival Honor Concert on April 7. A total of 28 schools competed at three regional sites around the state in March.

The spring play at Buffalo High School presents a unique challenge for its cast and crew. 

There are the usual hurdles – memorizing lines, creating a set that effectively brings scenes to life, and finding time for rehearsal among the rush of school obligations and activities that seem to accelerate as the end of the academic year crests the horizon.

But preparing a show where a lead actor has only one line of dialogue, where scenes are occasionally built around physical rather than verbal expressions of emotion, and where actors must accurately recreate the experiences of remarkable historical figures is no simple matter. 

Audiences will see how Buffalo High School students have surmounted each of those challenges when they come to three performances of “The Miracle Worker” in the BHS Performing Arts Center Thursday through Saturday, April 24-26. Each show is at 7:30 p.m.

Amid an impressive compilation of pieces performed by Buffalo High School orchestra students at their winter concert, one made history. 

For the first time, the Concert Orchestra performed a song composed by one of its own members.

Senior cellist Mitchell Friesz’s four-minute “Chasing the Unknown” was a highlight of the evening. Featuring a memorable melody line combined with layers of satisfying harmonies – as well as a generous distribution of feature moments to each instrumental group – the piece held its own in a program otherwise populated by the works of professional composers.

Excelling in the classroom, on the playing field or in the arts takes hard work and perseverance. Becoming a leader in all three areas simultaneously is a testament to a student’s character as well as their skill.

For that reason, Buffalo High School is proud to recognize seniors Hope Bjornson and Mitchell Friesz as its Academics, Arts and Athletics Award winners for 2025. The Minnesota State High School League honor, also known as the Triple ‘A’ Award, is given annually to two students who stand out in diverse disciplines.
 

Audyn Molesky and Aiden Herbst have been named Buffalo High School’s nominees for the Minnesota State High School League’s ExCEL Award. 

The award, which stands for Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership, is for juniors who participate in an MSHSL fine arts and/or athletic activity, hold a leadership position in their school, and volunteer in their community, among other stipulations.