Band & Orchestra Concert Review Edina Art Fair Stirs Excitement

Spring concert with unique twist

Sonia Lerner | Staff Writer

Ifthere’s one thing you should know about the spring band and orchestra concert, it’s that it was the most innovative, enjoyable, would-pay-to-watch school concert that I’ve ever been to. Violinist Ani Bhardwaj

‘26 said that it was “the most passion and energy [they’ve] ever seen at a school orchestra [and band] concert.”

The night began with Ursa Major, the student run orchestra group, who performed a selection of beautifully intricate pieces. Then, the Chamber Orchestra took the stage and quite literally gave me goosebumps (multiple times). Upper School orchestra and band director Brian Lukkasson began by introducing the orchestra’s themes of Brazilian music, film scores, and collaboration and community (in partnership with the choir). In terms of their performance, the orchestra did not disappoint. They played beautiful Brazilian compositions, and in one piece, violinists and violists played their instruments as if they were guitars, inspired by the piece being originally written for the guitar. The concert also featured the song “Test Drive” from “How to Train Your Dragon” arranged by junior Usman Mallick ‘24, who said, “I loved doing it, I love orchestra, and that’s the entire reason why I did it … it was rewarding, I wanted to do it.” Finally, they ended with “5 Hebrew Love Songs,” which they performed with A Capella, the Upper School a capella choir. Emma Hausman ‘23, who took a frontline role in teaching the A Capella choir the Hebrew lyrics, said that they’ve “been pushing to do a song in Hebrew … since [their] freshman year, so [they were] really excited that [they] got to do it, especially [during their] senior year.”

You might be thinking, “Wow, this concert sounds like it couldn’t get any better,” but you’d be mistaken; Jazz Express and Concert Band had yet to showcase their pieces. Aidan Tao ‘23, co-leader of Jazz Express, commented that “getting people to have that interest and have that passion for Jazz Express … has been the most difficult part [of the process], but also the most rewarding.” They performed an exceptional set of fusion pieces, combining rock, pop, funk, disco, and more, my personal favorite being Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You.” Some of the members even fashioned sunglasses during the set, adding an elevated feeling of jazz and funk to the music.

Read full version online at www.blakespectrum.org

Do you appreciate artwork and not have anything to do the weekend of June 2? If so, go to the Edina Art Fair located at the intersection of 50th and France! This annual fair started in 1966 and has around 250,000-300,000 visitors each year. The theme of the year is “The Art of Connection,” illustrating the ways in which art can bring people together. The Edina Art Fair in the past was rated on one of the top 50 fairs in the United States and has gotten many other awards throughout the years. It will take place this summer on Friday June 2 from 10am7pm, Saturday June 3 from 10am-7pm, and lastly Sunday June 4 from 10am-5pm.

Zellie Olson ‘25, has gone to the fair multiple times and always enjoys her time there.

Whether she is shopping for jewelry, paintings, or merely walking around, Olson admires the creativity that everyone places into their art. Olson talks about the vibe of the fair, “It’s very welcoming, you get to know how they made their art, how they got there, they really let you open themselves to their art journey.” Olson continues, “you feel like you get to see their art journey then and there instead of just seeing the final project.”

The Edina Art Fair is a great way to begin the summer, with amazing art and food. There are not only forms of art but lots of opportunities to participate in crafts. There is a community art project where people paint panels on canvases which will be shown on Sunday. Some other forms of entertainment that’s offered include dance performances, music, and magic shows.

The featured artist of the 2023 year is Suyao Tian. She is a gallerist of Viewpoint Gallery in the Twin Cities and works at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. At Viewpoint, she curates, paints, and runs the gallery. She originally went to college in China and arrived in the US in 2011 where she started to work on designing art. Some of her artwork, specifically her paintings, are part of many exhibitions across the country.

The fair is an amazing opportunity to go out and take time to appreciate artwork and the creativity from community artists. Olson explains, “What inspires me most is probably how the community can come together and how when it feels like sometimes there’s not enough appreciation for artists and what they put into their work. It feels great to see an entire community show up to buy from them and to support their creativity.”