Shivering in the cold March temperature, battling the wind, and protecting their music sheets, Glenbrook Symphony Orchestra (GSO) took the stage at Sylvan Theater in D.C., senior Esther Kim, GSO Co-President, said. GSO members from South and North partook in the field trip, eager to perform music from from the 2024-2025 school year, Kim explained.
From March 22 to March 27, the orchestra shared their talent with audiences at the Washington Monument in Washington D.C., Kim said. Every two years, sponsors Dr. Mark Maranto, Student Activities Director, Orchestra Director Aaron Kaplan, Band Director Brian Boron, and Orchestra Teacher Rachel Atlas, plan excursions and book venues where the musicians can perform during spring break, Kim said. Every member of GSO was encouraged to attend, but the attendees mainly consisted of orchestra sophomores and seniors, along with many members of Jazz Band.
“[As a senior] it was super nice to just be all together and to just reflect on the last three to four years of being together,” Kim said. “It was just a really good time.”
The orchestra will feature pieces such as “Buckaroo in Holiday” by Aaron Copland, “An American in Paris Suite” by George Gershwin, “Hymn for Everyone” by Jessie Montgomery, and “Juba Dance and Finale” from Symphony No. 1 in E Minor by Florence Price.
“My favorite [song] was ‘An American in Paris [Suite]’ by Gershwin,” Kim said. “It was our last piece to perform [in D.C.] and everybody was focused, despite our stands knocking over because of the wind.”
To honor GSO seniors, the sponsors organized a dinner to celebrate their musical accomplishments, commemorating their teachers and bonding with peers to recognize achievements, Kim said.
“We had time to ourselves [to] reflect over the last three to four years of being together,” Kim said. “It was definitely bittersweet because our teachers gave a small speech at the end, and we were all tearing up.”
In D.C., students performed and had educational and music-related opportunities, Kim explained. Musicians could collaborate with Dr. Soo Han, Professor in Collaborative Piano at George Mason University. The clinic gave musicians the chance to work with an instructor at a high level in a new environment, Kim explained.
Chris Cicconi, Youth Conductor at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, helped South musicians along with Dr. Han, Kim said. Ciccioni offered the group valuable lessons about coherence.
“[Cicconi] emphasized the importance of collaboration and group discussion within our orchestra, encouraging those to share their personal thoughts on the musicality of each piece,” Kim said.
Each member from GSO found value in every clinic at George Mason University, junior Myles Yiu, Violin Associate Concertmaster, said. The conductors gave the students a lot of encouragement and challenged them to improve their skills.
“In music, it’s always fun to get another pair of ears or perspective on a piece of music you might be working on,” Yiu said. “In the two clinics, the guest conductors gave us a lot of insight about themselves.”
Both Dr. Han and Cicconi paid great attention to detail when listening to the orchestra, challenging the students to push themselves and to play confidently, Kim said.
“Valuing unity in our orchestra, [Dr.Han] helped us make [each] piece whole,” Kim said. “His words of encouragement and advice for us were extremely thoughtful and unforgettable.”
