The annual Winter Concert was held at the Mexican Heritage Theater yesterday. Preceded by Middle School performers, Upper School instrumentalists in Lab Band, Jazz Band, and Orchestra showcased their skills gained over the first semester.

The Lab Band performed “Blues March,” “Recorda-me,” and “Big Dipper” under the direction of Dr. Dave Hart, who introduced them as the school’s first all-freshmen jazz band.

The Upper School Jazz Band carried out the songs “Launching Pad,” “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square,” and the traditional “Jumpin’ East of Java” under the guidance of Chris Florio, including vocalist Nina Sabharwal (12).

Finally, the Orchestra closed the show with “Carnival Overture”; “Capriccio Italien”; “Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity”; and “Molly On The Shore,” also conducted by Florio.

During the show, Florio commented that he encouraged his students to perform pieces that he himself was excited to play. He and Dr. Hart participated in the Jazz Band’s performance themselves, swaying in the back row with their trumpets.

Orchestra member Renu Singh (11) observed that, while the concert pieces might be challenging, it is the difficulty that bonds the musicians and makes the Winter Concert “really fun to play.”

“Every year, [the Winter Concert] gets better because [Mr. Florio] picks harder pieces to challenge us more and more,” Renu said. “Every year, it gets more exciting.”

Senior Alice Tsui was in the audience of an orchestra concert for the first time. As a senior, she had resolved to attend a variety of school events to support her peers.

“I was really impressed,” Alice said after the show. “The groups at Harker are really talented. I’ll definitely be following [them] from now on.”

The next concert for the Orchestra is the Spring Concert on April 12. The Jazz Band’s next performances include the Fashion Show on February 22 and An Evening of Jazz on March 15.