The Middle School Symphony performed their annual Chamber Music and Solo concert on Feb 21, 2025 in the Saperstein Theater. The concert featured performances by chamber music groups and soloists. These performances included compositions by Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky, Wolgang Amadeus Mozart, Arcangelo Correlli, and Felix Mendelssohn.
“The students were absolutely amazing!,” said Middle School Symphony Director Emily Reola. “We lost a week of rehearsal due to the school closures from the fire, which was very difficult since we already have to prepare for this concert within a tight window.”
The Middle School Symphony had been rehearsing for this concert since their return to school from Winter Break. With numerous ensembles and only two directors, Reola and Pedram Pourghazi, the students have been working with professional musicians who serve as music coaches to help them prepare for the concert. In addition, the students were also able to meet with directors Pourghazi and Reola for extra help.
Symphony Concertmaster Claire Lee ’28 said that she enjoyed playing in her Mendelssohn trio alongside Ryan Yang ’29 and Alex Yang ’28.
“I enjoyed experimenting with different phrasings and seeing how small changes could completely shift the emotion of the piece,” Lee said. “What made it even more special was working with Ryan Yang and Alex Yang. Watching all of us improve together was such a rewarding experience.”
“The students really stepped it up and put together an incredible show.” Reola said.
