Honor band celebrates music education at Symphony Hall

The honor band performs.  Photo courtesy Stuart Holmes Photography ©2014

 

The best musicians from California's second-largest school district joined together recently to make music at the city's premier classical music venue.

Students from 13 San Diego Unified high schools performed in the High School Instrumental Honor Concert on March 16 at Copley Symphony Hall. Selected by audition and performing like professionals, the students were dressed in formal attire as they played major works by Beethoven, Elgar, Bizet, Gershwin, and Sullivan as well as very challenging band selections.

According to Ann Marie Haney, a longtime San Diego Unified volunteer and tireless worker on behalf of young musicians, the concert was tremendous and had a unexpected turn.

"A stunning surprise was the excerpt from Bizet's Carmen Suite in which Mira Mesa High School student Betsy Podsiadlo stepped out of the violin section to the front of the stage and beautifully sang the Habanera with the orchestra," she said. "The audience was on its feet with applause. The student musicians exhibited exemplary discipline as well as obvious affection for their teachers and their guest conductors."

The Honor Orchestra and Honor Band students all received standing ovations. Musicians and their schools included: Clairemont, Christian Arroyo; Hoover, Luis Munoz; La Jolla, Kiya Klopfenstein.

Also, Madison, Emily Svendsen, Katalina Hoffman; Mira Mesa, Giannela Gonzales, Seth Nakanishi, Mai Ngoc Nguyen, Natalie Sitzer, Tiffany Tran, Victoria Holmes, Steven Drooz, Gabrielle Eacock, Nicole Gonzales, Janet Ta, Steven Moreno, Jaylan Worthy-Diaz, Jake Boring, Gabriel Ambrosio, Paul Nguyen, Copal Barrett, Emilio Haro-Pallares, Jacob Hentz, Molly Johnson, Liam Barrett, Thaddeus Demeke, Trevor McCoy, Augustine Vinluan, Jordon Coy, Leah Paty, Aidan Morman, Orion-Song Lewis, Jeffrey Rodriguez, Isaac Lemus, Anna Phan, Madeline Do, Kayla Iniguez, Elizabeth Podsiadlo, Trisha Porter, Kana Rigby, Allison Huynh, Laura Tafolla, Rosalynn Conrady, Patrick Hizon, Adam Guzzardo, Thomas Huang Morse, Leanne Caranza, Ryan Baniel, Julius Batista, Kevin Yturralde Patrick Henry, Yani Thai, Anthony Jaynes, Miles Head, Mathew Voogd, Aryanne Do, Kiera Lathan, Matthew Leveque, Brian Rig , Timothy Toombs and Lloyd Kat.

Also, Point Loma, Nicole Oliveira, Sophia Patella, Astrea Villarrael Sanchez, Bryce Shinohara, Kei Takanami Dalton Omens, Kaitlyn Lund, Lloyd Kay, Clifton McKenzie, Gabriel Silva-Kim, Michael Brown, Daniel Benham, Nick Xitco, Cheyne Hamm; San Diego HS International Studies: Karen Takemura.

Also, School of Creative and Performing Arts: Deanna De Leon, Alyssa Gonzaga, Jenna Richards, John Zinser; Scripps Ranch, Elena Herbold, Concertmaster Tiffany Nguyen, Angela Pham, Carrie Samsen, Imani Silverstein, Kelly Kim, Lily Quach, Thi Vo, Ryan Lopez, Nicholas Vilbrandt, Brianna Deschenes, Leila Adel, Katrina Hizon Nathan Khuu, Kimberly Ngo, Dawei Zhou, Jennifer Munger, Stephen Bieber, Karlos Langum-Sabor Alec Candib, Nicholas Pickett Serra, Killian Voutour, Dennis Feinland, Alexandro Vlassis.

 

And, University City, Jessica Chen, Jonathan Lilley, Matthew de los Santo, Gia Edusada, Anna Lozada, David Berard, Jordan Collins, Micayla George, Kevin Murray, Darcy Wuhrmann, Leana Yearwood, Claire Hom, Rachel Lipkin, Emi Zeger, Sloan Quessenberry, Alexander Newman, Timothy Notestine, Yooka Kim, Katherine Endsley, Kimia Nouri, Timothy Tran, Lee Hagaman, Eric Wilkinson,

Video

Honor concerts aren't just for high school students. Watch video from the Middle School Honor Orchestra (YouTube — may be blocked at San Diego Unified schools)»