Strings Director Pamela Wright, Emy Carter, Brigid Ehrmantraut, Paris Wilson, Anthony Kaskurs, Wylie Kau, Zach Waage and Michael Harlow
from Kristen Wilson for Music Advocacy Group<
Eight musicians from Orcas High School’s Strings and Band Classes attended this year’s Senior Honor Festival at Blaine High School on November 4. Presented by the San Juan Music Educators Association, the Festival hosted some of the top musicians (248 students from 17 Northwest area high schools) at an all-day rehearsal, concluding with a concert by choir, orchestra and band at Blaine School’s 756-seat Performing Arts Center.
Representing Orcas Island in the Senior Honor Orchestra were seven musicians from Pamela Wright’s High School Strings class: violinists Emy Carter, Paris Wilson and Michael Harlow; violists Brigid Ehrmantraut and Zach Waage; and cellists Anthony Kaskurs and Wylie Kau. The Orcas String students were thrilled to spend a day rehearsing under the baton of Adam Stern, the Honor Orchestra Director. The Grammy Award-winning Music Director/Conductor of the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra and the Port Angeles Symphony, Stern is familiar to Orcas music fans as a frequent performer and speaker at the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival.
Darren Dix and Kahana Pietsch
The Orchestra performed “Allegro Assai” from Concerto no. 9 in E minor by Tomaso Albinoni, “Beautiful Dreamer” by Steven Foster and “Brook Green Suite” by Gustav Holst. The Orcas music program was honored by the selection of violinist Emy Carter as Concertmaster for the 47-member orchestra. Orcas Strings Director Pamela Wright also served as the Festival’s Honor Orchestra Chairman. “It was an honor to help organize this event,” said Wright, “and have Adam Stern agree to work with our students! It was an amazing day!”
Trombonist Kahana Pietsch from Darren Dix’s High School Band class was selected to perform with the 103-member Senior Honor Band, conducted by Christopher Bianco, Chair of the Department of Music and Director of Bands at Western Washington University. The Honor Band performed “His Honor March” by Henry Filmore, “Yorkshire Ballad” by James Barnes, the innovative “Snakes” by Thomas C. Duffy, and the rhythmically challenging “Chester” by William Schuman.
