Orchestra to perform in Chicago

Featured+violinist+Helen+Wu+%2811%29+performs+excerpts+from+Fiddler+on+the+Roof+by+Jerry+Block+at+the+annual+Winter+Concert+on+Jan.+18.+The+orchestra+will+travel+to+Chicago+over+Spring+Break%2C+April+5+to+10%2C+to+premiere+a+composition+by+Jeremy+van+Buskirk.

Mariam Sulakian

Featured violinist Helen Wu (11) performs excerpts from Fiddler on the Roof by Jerry Block at the annual Winter Concert on Jan. 18. The orchestra will travel to Chicago over Spring Break, April 5 to 10, to premiere a composition by Jeremy van Buskirk.

The Upper School orchestra will travel to Chicago over Spring Break from April 5 to 10 to premiere a composition by Jeremy van Buskirk.

The group will be the first in high school orchestra history to debut a new piece. They will also be performing other pieces they have been learning and practicing throughout the year.

“It’s this really cool thing. We’re the only high school orchestra premiering a new work by a composer,” bass player Jackelyn Shen (11) said.

While the orchestra is traveling to participate mainly in the concert, they are also scheduled to tour Northwestern University. Also on the itinerary is a rehearsal with Buskirk, a Chicago Symphony concert, and a showing of the musical Million Dollar Quartet at the Apollo Theater.

“The orchestra concert is just an all around good opportunity for all the kids and I know a lot of them have fun on it too so it’s definitely going to be great,” director and conductor Chris Florio said.

Lowerclassmen orchestra members expressed excitement over their first trip with the orchestra.

“Orchestra is always super important to me and I am so excited for this concert,” Melinda Wisdom (9) said. “It’s going to be loads of fun, and we all worked super hard on the pieces so everybody who can should definitely come watch.”

The orchestra trip overlaps with other school events such as the journalism program’s San Diego trip and the Harvard Economics Challenge.