The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

Iris Fu (12) performs the emergency room scene for The Laramie Project. This years fall play will perform from Oct. 26 to 28.

Conservatory kicks off new year with audition action

by Alison Yang and Claire Yu October 5, 2023

The frenzy of audition season brought actors, singers and dancers back to the Rothschild Performing Arts Center (RPAC). Fall Play auditions for Moises Kaufman and the Members of the Tectonic Theater’s...

Hannah Streeper (10) finishes her recording session during Harker Conservatory’s Rap Composition Workshop led by guest artist Justin Smith on April 14. “My favorite part of the process is watching students come in for the first time, how they react to hearing themselves and [gain] confidence,” Smith said.

Lyricism and learning: Conservatory hosts first rap composition workshop

by Alison Yang, Co-Arts & Entertainment Editor April 27, 2023

Tick. Tock. With the clock’s steady rhythm as a metronome, students scribble and type furiously. Muttering rhymes under their breath, they hold phones to their ears. Through their tinny speakers, the...

Shareen Chahal (11) as Leaf Coneybear. The eccentric homeschooled speller becomes an underdog of the bee.

Conservatory brings pandemonium with Spring Musical

by Alison Yang, Jonathan Xue, and Young Min April 12, 2023

In thirty minutes, Rona Lisa Peretti, played by Samvita Gautham (12), will take the stage, pink pumps and purple power suit bursting out from the beige set. “Syzygy,” she spells, as the cheers in her...

Harker Dance Company perform Control, their second dance of the show. The contemporary routine contrasted with Trumpets, their hip hop number.

Annual “Just Dance” celebrates student skills

by Jessica Wang and Alison Yang April 11, 2023

As the curtains rise and the music starts to fill the theater, the stage comes alive with a fusion of colors, rhythms and movements. From the fluid movements of contemporary dance to the high-energy routines...

Downbeat performers pose for a photo at the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) on March 10. Downbeat placed fourth in the quarter finals against seven other a cappella groups from California.

Downbeat places fourth at ICHSA quarter finals

by Young Min and Alison Yang March 20, 2023

Harker’s show choir, Downbeat, placed fourth in the quarter finals of the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) on March 10 at John Burroughs High School, competing against seven...

Yasmin Sudarsanam (10), Eileen Ma (12) and Maya Affaki (10) dance to  Peer Pressure. Eileen choreographed the dance by translating her favorite moments from the song to dance movements.

Growing “Better 2Gether”: Students perform in annual Dance Production

by Young Min and Alison Yang February 19, 2023

The curtains draw back as the Patil Theater is plunged into darkness. Suddenly, strings of neon light descend, illuminating the stage as the first notes of “It Takes Two” by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock...

Harshini Chaturvedula (11) plays the viola with Orchestra during the Winter Instrumental Concert. Held on Jan. 13, the concert invited audiences to watch multiple upper school instrumental groups and soloists perform various musical styles, ranging from upbeat Latin jazz to slow ballads.

Annual Winter Instrumental Concert showcases diverse musical styles and performances

by Ariana Goetting and Young Min February 2, 2023

Warm orange lights illuminate the stage as Lab Band settles into their chairs, carefully preparing their instruments. With the flick of the conductor’s wrist, music flows and reverberates throughout...

Performers unveil work in the arts during Student Directed Showcase productions

by Sidak Sanghari, Hima Thota, Alison Yang, and Sally Zhu January 18, 2023

A misshapen blob of students, dressed in costumes ranging from floral shirts to ski boots to construction vests, gather onstage. Wrapping their arms around each other, they squat down, heads bowed in anticipation....

Cantilenans Ananya Das (10), Miki Mitarai (11) and Lucy Feng (12) sing National Weather Report in winter clothing. Cantilena closed the concert with this song to remind the audience about the warm winters in California.

Choir groups bring audiences around the world in ‘Music from the Eastern Hemisphere’

by Shiv Deokar and Yifan Li December 3, 2022

Harker’s Bel Canto, Camerata and Cantilena along with debuting groups, Dolce Voce and Rhapsody performed in the show ‘Music from the Eastern Hemisphere’ on Nov. 10 in the Patil Theater. The concert...

Upper school composer Paul Woodruff sits at the piano, playing notes of a song. Woodruff joined Harker 12 years ago, and has since been composing for music for upper school musical groups.

Composing cadence: Upper school melodist writes music through time

by Vika Gautham, Shareen Chahal, and Olivia Xu May 30, 2022

Euphonic voices fill the air with joyful tunes as upper school composer Paul Woodruff sits at the piano, observing the students implementing his modified arrangement of the classic, “Walking on Sunshine.”...

Certificate seniors Sujith Pakala, Irene Yuan, Teresa Cai, Malar Bala, Richie Amarillas and Ysabel Chen pose with their certificates after Senior Showcase. Friday’s Senior Showcase and Hammies Ceremony recognized this year’s 17 graduating Certificate students as well as other Conservatory members.

Senior performing arts students conclude year at upper school with final showcases and awards

by Aryana Bharali, Kevin Zhang, and Sally Zhu May 22, 2022

Dancers, actors, instrumentalists, vocalists, tech crew, students from all aspects of the performing arts line up on stage, their smiles bright and wide as the stage lights shine down on them. They hold...

Members of Bel Canto perform at a dress rehearsal for the Choirs In Concert. The concert, themed Peace, Hope, Love, took place in the Patil Theater on April 21.

Bel Canto, Camerata, Cantilena, Downbeat dazzle in Peace, Hope, Love concert

by Ella Yee, Co-Asst. Multimedia Editor May 3, 2022

A song inspired by South African melodies, another dedicated to the war in Ukraine and a melody accompanied on the erhu, a Chinese stringed instrument. Members of upper school choirs Bel Canto, Camerata,...

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