ORHS Orchestra shines in New York City

 

Submitted

Oak Ridge High School Orchestra is in the mist of a record-setting year. During the past month, 28 ORHS Orchestra students earned All-East Tennessee Orchestra honors, and 13 earned All-State Tennessee Orchestra recognition. Both of the previously mentioned accomplishments were the most of any orchestra program in East Tennessee.

Also, the orchestra performed in the East Tennessee Band and Orchestra Concert Festival this month and earned all superior ratings in every category and sub-category for all four judges at the event. This was the first time in ORHS Orchestra’s history to achieve this feat.

This past weekend, the orchestra traveled to Washington, D.C., and New York City to compete in a national orchestra competition with schools from Tennessee, Georgia, Missouri, California, Texas, and Arizona. ORHS Orchestra stole the show with 11 total awards including:

• Best High School Orchestra
• Best Chamber Orchestra
• Best Orchestra/Band/Instrumental Group
• Highest combined score of any school
• Two Gold Ratings—chamber orchestra scores of 95, 95, and 94, and 10th-12th grade orchestra scores of 99, 98, and 98
• One Silver Rating—9th-grade orchestra with scores of 89, 88, and 88
• Evelyn Pieper—Outstanding Violin Soloist
• Alek Wereszczak—Outstanding Viola Soloist
• Eagle Yuan—Outstanding Violin Soloist
• Overall Sweepstakes Orchestra Award

The event was attended by some of the finest band, orchestra, and choral groups from throughout America and was adjudicated by Long Island University Composer Carl Strommen, St. Joseph’s College Instrumental Professor Mike Carubia, and Long Island University String Professor Maureen Hynes. Strommen commented that the ORHS Orchestra is “an extraordinary group with a huge sound, perfect balance, and the overall sound of the orchestra is bordering on professional.” Hynes added, “Your director is very special, bravo.”

The ORHS Orchestra Boosters, an IRS 501(c)(3) organization, facilitated the trip.  For more information on ORHS Orchestra, visit www.orhsorchestra.org.

 

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