Buffalo High School

Thanks to meticulous preparation that enabled an outstanding performance at regions, the Buffalo High School Repertory Orchestra gained a statewide audience and critical acclaim earlier this month.

The ninth-grade ensemble under the direction of Kristine Wiese took the stage for the State Festival Honors Concert at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on April 15. Only eight ensembles from around Minnesota were chosen for the showcase based on their performances at regional competitions, and the 2,085-seat auditorium was filled to capacity for each school’s performance.

“It felt surreal, almost, just being in that big of a space that was that important,” said Cora Smiglewski, a viola player.

After two days of intense State Knowledge Bowl Meet competition, Buffalo High School came away with a fifth-place finish out of 17 teams in the AAA big school division last week.

“It was a fantastic experience for all involved,” said BHS Knowledge Bowl Coach Brandon Aldrich. “I'm so glad this team was able to experience state, and since they are all juniors, I really hope they are able to come back next year to compete at state.” 
 

Action, adventure and intrigue drive the classic “Treasure Island” story, told with a few fresh adaptations by the Buffalo High School drama department in its upcoming spring play.

Three performances are scheduled, each at 7:30 p.m. in the BHS Performing Arts Center, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 18-20.

Jazz fans had a unique opportunity to hear all four BHM jazz bands perform with a professional musician on Tuesday, Feb. 20, in the Buffalo High School Performing Arts Center.

Dave Hagedorn, a retired music professor who taught at St. Olaf and the University of Wisconsin-Superior, has also played for more than 20 years as an extra for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and was the principal percussionist for the Duluth Symphony. He is still active with a variety of other ensembles as well, and was featured on the vibraphone with improvisational solos in every song.

Teaching music may not have been Scott Rabehl’s first career, but he has been recognized multiple times for excellence since he traded the business world for a podium and baton. 

In 2006 he was named the Outstanding Young Band Director for the State of Minnesota by the American School Band Directors Association. In 2018 he became the Schmitt Music Educator of the Year. And earlier this month, the Buffalo High School band director was named High School Music Educator of the Year by the Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA).

Jayde Hallman and Kumail Akram were recently 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.
 

When Buffalo High School’s “Tatanka” yearbook won Best of Show in the Minnesota High School Press Association’s annual contest in the fall, it wasn’t exactly a surprise.

Judges reviewing entries for the annual statewide convention have chosen the BHS yearbook for that honor in six of the last seven years (no convention took place in 2021, and 2018 records were unavailable).

In all, the 2023 yearbook won 18 awards at the convention in October, including numerous individual awards for photography, design, writing and features. Tatanka also took the top prize for its theme: “flourish.”
 

One meet into the 2024 season, it appears that Buffalo High School is poised to continue its legacy of success in Knowledge Bowl competition.

For one thing, the program remains one of the largest in the region, with four varsity teams and three junior varsity teams totaling 35 students. Those participation numbers are important, but the performance of the teams in their first meet of the season on Saturday, Jan. 6, at Foley High School was also impressive.

Buffalo teams took first and second place in both the varsity and JV divisions of the meet, which included 47 teams from schools across Region 7.

Nearly 100 Buffalo High School students are hard at work preparing their fall musical, “The Wind in the Willows.”

Four performances will be held in the BHS Performing Arts Center, with 7:30 p.m. shows scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 16-18, and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 19.