Choir and orchestra members perform set at Carnegie Hall

By Sara Segil

Students in the Upper School Choir and Orchestra programs performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City on March 28. They traveled as a group, visiting cultural sites and museums during their trip.

Bel Canto member Maya Ray '25 said the trip was especially meaningful because of the music they performed.

“The song we played, Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast, hadn’t been played in Carnegie in over 100 years,” Ray said, “We only played indigenous music and diverse music, which was really historic.”

Ray said she enjoyed the group's visit the Museum of Modern Art, as well as seeing one of the last Broadway performances of “Chicago” with the original cast.

“All the students voted on what musical to see, and we all decided on 'Chicago',” Ray said, "It was amazing to see and experience because as a theater nerd, I got to see such an influential musical with such an impressive cast.”

Alexia Aridi ’25 said she enjoyed exploring the city and performing with classmates.

“I hung out with my friends roaming the streets of New York to go to cute little breakfast places,” Aridi said. “It was a really cool experience overall, especially playing in Carnegie.”

Lok Gertschen-Klaseus

’25 said he is grateful that the school's music program provided the opportunity to travel and perform.

“We really got to see Carnegie,” Gertschen-Klaseus said. “Being inside was super cool. I think it's really special that our school gives us the chance to go on this trip, to play such cool music in New York City as a group.”

Choir Director Zanaida Robles said there is still progress to be made in representing diverse voices in music but that she felt the trip was a success. “There is still so much work to do to bring the music of underrepresented and marginalized composers into our collective consciousness,” Robles said. “I couldn't be more proud of our work. My life and the lives of our singers and instrumentalists are forever changed for the better thanks to this monumental experience.”

A press release sent out about the evening of music at Carnegie Hall said the pieces played at the event were intended to trigger deeper reflections on the part of audience members and those performing.

“These performances invite listeners and participants to seriously ponder urgent questions about who is seen and heard, historically and into the present day,” the press release said.

Three seniors selected as 2023 Presidential Scholars in the arts

By MeJo Liao

Photography Editor Raisa Effress ’23, Presentations Managing Editor Fallon Dern ’23 and Alejandro Lombard ’23 were chosen as 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, selected by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.

The program was founded in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to honor the nation’s top high school students. Since then, the program has celebrated achievements beyond the academic field to include the visual, creative and performing arts. This year, there were over 5,000 candidates qualifying for the program and 20 finalist winners.

Presidential Scholars Award recipient for photography Raisa Effress ’23 said her works were centered around sharing the stories of Holocaust survivors and that winning was especially impactful to her because of the recent increase in antisemitic events.

“Waking up on May 10 as a Presidential Scholar was an unforgettable moment, and I was incredibly honored to be chosen at every step of the selection process,” Effress said. “However, at a time when antisemitism in the U.S. has reached a record high, the significance of this award is much bigger than me; it represents a national recognition of Jewish histories, straight from the highest office in America.”

Effress said the process of documenting a Holocaust survivor through art was rewarding and inspiring.

“The crown jewel of my application was my multimedia series, Mended (Nes Gadol Haya Sham),” Effress said. “I began traveling to the homes of Holocaust survivors from across the country to document their stories and make intimate portraits of them. Then, using vintage thread, I meticulously embroidered a part of each photographic print, creating a pop of color to highlight an aspect of each survivor’s life that brings them joy. The physical act of weaving something new and beautiful from the remnants of the past represents the painstaking efforts of families like mine to heal after the Holocaust and the wonderful fruits of those efforts. In the second half of the series, I explore the legacy of the Holocaust in my own family."

• Continued on hwchronicle.com