FONTANA, CA – When Henry J. Kaiser High School Catamount Pride and Color Guard band director Roberto Ronquillo arrived to lead the music program at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, he was tasked with replacing a legend, former Kaiser band director Anthony Allmond, who led the music program from the school’s inception in 1998 until his retirement in 2022.

It was a steep learning curve for Ronquillo – an A.B. Miller High School Class of 2007 graduate who had previously worked alongside Allmond as a student teacher at Kaiser – but one that has brought its own rewards, with a long list of recent team and individual accolades that have added significantly to Kaiser’s esteemed history. These honors include a first-ever Southern California Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) 2025 Division B championship, along with selections to state and regional honor bands and the Pasadena City College (PCC) Rose Parade Honor Band.

The Catamount Pride Band and Ronquillo are celebrating another outstanding achievement: the selection of 11 student-musicians to the San Bernardino County Honor Band and Orchestra, with two scheduled performance dates at the University of Redlands Memorial Chapel on Saturday, Feb. 21 (Honor Band) and Saturday, Feb. 28 (Honor Orchestra). In April, the band will travel to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of the National Band and Orchestra Festival.

“I am so proud to see my students honored as they are truly some of the best musicians in the entire state,” Ronquillo said. “I absolutely love what I do. I try to make it as fun for the kids as possible. By bringing enthusiasm and establishing a rapport of excellence, the progress we have made over the last four years has been incredible.”

Selected to the S.B. County Honor Band are seniors Amarissa Ronquillo (alto sax), Liliana Lobo (euphonium), Marcos Perez (bass trombone), and Maximo Franco (trumpet); junior Joseph Robles (clarinet); and sophomores Gisselle Salazar (alto sax) and Alyssa Becerra (trumpet). Selected to the Honor Orchestra are senior Ryan Amoranto, sophomores Diego Romero and Salazar; and freshmen Victoria Guerrero and Kaylee Basurto. All were selected to play violin.

Several Kaiser students have received multiple accolades, including Franco and Lobo, who were both named to the California Band Directors Association (CBDA) All-State Honor Band and the PCC Rose Parade Honor Band. Additionally, Franco was named to the SCSBOA All Southern Honor Band, while Amoranto was selected to the California Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) All-State Symphony Orchestra. Ronquillo, Perez, and Salazar were also selected as members of the PCC Rose Parade Honor Band.

“Playing with the CODA All-State Symphony at the University of the Pacific in December was a really fun experience,” Amoranto said. “I tried out twice for CODA and didn’t make it, so I attended a Super Saturday music workshop at UC Irvine and learned so much about the audition process. I began taking more lessons and it paid off for me this year.”

Kaiser High is supported by a strong Districtwide visual and performing arts (VAPA) program, which provides a pipeline of talent from middle schools, where students are immersed in the fundamentals. The Catamount Pride Band and Color Guard receive most of their members from Southridge Tech Middle School, which is led by music teacher Sara Dvorak-Torres.

“Sara has been pivotal in sending me fully-prepared band and orchestra students. The excellence of our program can be traced back to Sara’s work at Southridge Tech,” Ronquillo said. “It’s really a tribute to the District’s VAPA program. We’re seeing more and more students try out for band, which is a wonderful thing.”

Ronquillo takes great pride in his students, especially when they discover their own path in music. Lobo originally played the cello. After her sister, Paige Neuernswander – a 2024 graduate who played euphonium – left the program, Lobo switched to the same instrument and went on to become the section leader.

Lobo now has auditions for three California State universities at Northridge, Fullerton, and Long Beach, and plans to become a music educator.

“It is always amazing to see our students not only rise to the top in their academics and extracurriculars, but also see a clear pathway to careers that allow them to pursue their passions,” FUSD Superintendent Miki R. Inbody said. “We are proud of our Kaiser High School students for reaching incredible heights in their achievements, made possible through the dedication, talent, and support of our teachers and staff.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

KAISERHSBAND1: Eleven Henry J. Kaiser High School student-musicians were selected to be a part of the San Bernardino County Honor Band and Orchestra, with two scheduled performance dates at the University of Redlands Memorial Chapel on Saturday, Feb. 21 (Honor Band) and Saturday, Feb. 28 (Honor Orchestra).

KAISERHSBAND2: Kaiser High band director Roberto Ronquillo began leading the school’s music program at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, with his students earning several accolades, including a first-ever Southern California Band and Orchestra Association 2025 Division B championship, along with selections to state and regional honor bands and the Pasadena City College Rose Parade Honor Band.

KAISERHSBAND3: In April, the Kaiser High band will travel to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of the National Band and Orchestra Festival.