The Middle School Winter Instrumental Concert, themed “Joyous Sounds” took place at Saperstein Theatre Dec. 12. The program featured the Middle School (MS) Symphony, conducted by Conductor Emily Reola, and performed Warrior Legacy, Sugar Plum Fairy, Waltz of the Flowers and Farandole. The Winter Instrumental Concert marked the Symphony’s first major performance of the school year and followed months of preparation that began during the first week of classes.
The middle school symphony is the most advanced music ensemble, and requires an audition held by Reola.
“I was so proud of our symphony, especially for doing so well in our first performance,” Reola said.“I really hope that the audience left that night with a resonance to the pieces we played, and truly enjoyed our performance. ”
MS Symphony violinist Sim Andersen ’29 said performing in the concert challenged him to face his nerves on stage.
“The hardest part about the concert for me, was the nerves and stage fright I was stuck with,” Andersen said. “However, I pushed through, and overall the concert was a great experience.”
Symphony Concertmaster Eva Chang ’29 said the concert tested her ability to perform under pressure.
“At first, I was extremely nervous to lead my section well, but I learned that being comfortable in the pressure is crucial for moments like these,” Chang said. “I felt a lot of pressure to lead my section well, but everything went so smoothly.”
Co-concertmaster Yuna Chung ’29 said the experience highlighted the importance of leadership within the orchestra.
“I learned how important preparation and leadership are,” Chung said. “Being [a co-concertmaster] helped me grow as a musician and taught me how to support the people around me.”
Chang said the concert showed how much effort the orchestra put into improving as a group.
“I worked through mistakes by listening to Ms. Reola and being aware of the parts of other sections,” Chang said. “I learned that hard work does pay off and that everyone put in significant effort to make us a great orchestra.”
