Winter Concert
Thursday, December 19, 2024
7:00 PM | Memorial Chapel
Featuring: Jazz Band I and Jazz Band II, Concert Band and Advanced Concert Band, String Ensemble and Advanced String Ensemble, Concert Choir and Advanced Concert Choir, Harmonics, Blue Notes, A Cappella, Tower Singers, and The Quarter Notes
A Note from the Performing Arts Department
This concert is a lovely ending to our Poly fall production season and a wonderful send-off into Winter Break. In each of our arts exhibitions this fall, students explored humanity, relationships, and the journeys that help shape us all. This concert continues that exploration into the surrounding world, allowing us to appreciate the multifaceted beauty of nature during the winter season—its serene landscapes, stark stillness, and deep, contemplative silence. The cold season, with its contrasts of harshness and tranquility, has inspired composers for centuries, evoking both the melancholy and the quiet majesty of nature. Tonight’s program brings together vocal and instrumental music, capturing the spirit of winter through varied textures and vivid imagery.
The combination of vocal and instrumental works creates a balance between human expression and the natural world, reminding us of winter’s beauty in all its forms—from the quiet introspection to the boldness of a new beginning. Please join me in enjoying tonight’s warmth and ambience while celebrating the continued work of our talented students and faculty.
We wish you peace and joy through the holiday season and beyond, and a wonderfully restorative break.
Ashley Hacker
Performing Arts Department Chair
The following students featured in tonight’s performance are members of the Excellence in the Arts Certificate Program:
Class of ’25: Griff Allen, Cate Ferreira, Gabrielle Flinn-Beane, Stavroula Gabriel, Ryan Geisler, Isabelle Gerling, Esme Hort, Juliet Michaelis, Leo Mullin, Reese Roaman, Jason Rodino, Donald Shields, Sophia Taylor, Drew Waldman, Jasper Whiteley, Ellen Zwerling
Class of ’26: Ava Barbiere, Maggie Cochran, Tessa Cooper, Eshaan Dangayach, Sylvie Dorsch, Emilio Gittens, Eve Harris, Grover Howell, Jasper Inamoto, Konatsu Iwai, Devan Jiang, Carolina Lisk, Jack Pfeifer, Ben Robb
A Note from the Music Department
To witness art is both passive and active. Whether catching a glimpse of a painting, overhearing a tune, or simply being a bystander to a performance, you are included in its life, you are part of its story. However, to engage with a work fully, we must pause. When we stop to view or listen, the piece has us right where it wants us. Taking that moment to pause allows the medium to excite us; it can start a dialogue, it can invite and reject, or simply wash over us.
Tonight is a special experience as you all took the time to pause. You already know half the story and the artists, your children who spent months preparing for this evening. Teachers can model techniques, supply paint, and waive our arms in a pattern but the students are the ones who will guide you through. Now let their work captivate you, speak to you, and move you.
Vincent Iannelli Choral Director & Music Programs Coordinator
Quarter Notes
White Winter Hymnal
By Fleet Foxes
Directed by The Quarter Notes
Griff Allen, Donald Shields, Cate Ferreira, Sophia Taylor
Tower Singers
It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year
By Eddie Pola/George Whyle
Directed by Vincent Iannelli
GRADE 7
Tobi Amusan, Serena Anderson, Jack Belford, Lucas Betita, Clementine Carty, Milly Doniger, Micah Drucker-Mann, Jonathan Durando, Mae Foley, Hannah Fulmer, Eve Furst, Mireya Grasso, Charlie Hummel, William Hyman, Fiona Jaffe, Sameer Kalhans, Emerson Khanna, Lily Klingensmith, Finn Lippert, Amanda Lvovsky, Eugenia Mazur, Grant McGruder, Ben McKenzie, Sam Mezhburd, Nadia Muchinsky, Elena Niccolai, Mia Ortiz de Zevallos, Azula Partee, Caroline Phillips, Alex Pipitone, Erin Reddy, Kiera Reddy, Liam Rodriguez-John, Liliana Ruiz, Reid Ryland, Allegra Sabal, Robbie Sabbagh, Malakhi Seales, Levi Stein, Mischa Stein, Teddy Thanopoulos, Adelaide Tilove, Maddie Ulloa, Caden Yang
GRADE 8
Alex Arniotis, Leo Arons-Labaton, Jackson Arrington, Olive Baird, Drew Brandmeyer, Cooper Brenner, Siya Cann, Livia Coppola, Zoe Del Valle, Simon Dull, Sarah Etienne, Grace Garner, Josie George, Martina Gerardino Galarraga, Valeria Giraldo, Hayden Glaser-Lin, Smith Glaser-Lin, Dalia Golomb, Lila Sage Gray, Olivia Harris, Zoey Hawthorne, Romy Heller, Bailey Hill, Elle King, Charlotte Langlais, Alessandra Lisk, Roxy Londoner, Caitlin McGovern, Jo-Lee Mckenzie, Esteban Mierisch, Sylvia Milstein, Liv Nesdale, Ava O’Connor, Marley Parikh, Emma Perez, Charlie Plosser, Lucy Plosser, Lily Retman, Jenna Reyfman, Skyler Reyfman, Eva Rosen, Audrey Scherquist, Mera Schoenburg, Sadie Schwartz, Maddie Shields, Zoe Steele, Max Stein, Kitty Unis, Gemma Vitolo, Simone Ward, Ana Wisk, Lillian Ziff, Katherine Zimmer
Concert Band
The 3-Minute Nutcracker
By P. Tchaikovsky
Snowscape
By Randall Standridge
Directed by Chris Benvegna
Ava Barbiere, Tyler Chan, Leo Cheng, Eliana Cochrane, Christopher Espinosa
Perez Nunez, Rose Filippazzo, Sam Harris, Morgan Hewan-Lowe, Zuva KaitanoPrice, Julian Miravete, Christopher Paidarakis, Gregory Povetko, Lucas Powers Wojtowicz, Clark Spillane
Advanced Band
Excerpt from Danse Macabre, Op.40
By Camille Saint-Saens
Directed by Chris Benvegna
Sylvie Dorsch, Lowie Giles, Emilio Gittens, Eve Harris, Grover Howell, Jax Powers Wojtowicz, Jason Rodino, Aiden Yang, Chris Zang
A Cappella
Pure Imagination/Christmas Time is Here
By Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley/Vince Guaraldi & Lee Mendelson
Arranged by Pentatonix
Directed by Maddy Wyatt
Griff Allen*, Phoebe Allen, Isa Anderson, Isabella Carire, Tyler Chan, Caleb Cuti, Cate Ferreira*, Lucy Fleishhacker, Gabrielle Flinn-Beane, Stavroula Gabriel, Kailynn Hernandez, Charles Jaffe, Isabelle Kelley, Kiera Kinnane, Donald Shields*, Spencer Udin, Drew Waldman, Jasper Whiteley, Isaac Wise, Wendy Zhou
*Co-leaders 2024–25
Jazz Band II
Blues By Five
By Red Garland
Arranged by
John Berry
Directed by Dr. Orrin Wilson
Aki Fields.......................................................................................................... Alto Saxophone
Logan Geisler .................................................................................................................... Drums
Sadie Hart Alto Saxophone
Austin Nevins-Saunders ................................................................................................. Guitar
Arhan Sengupta Piano
City Smith ............................................................................................................................ Guitar
Blue Notes
Lovely Day
By Bill Withers
Directed by Daniel Doughty
Griff Allen, Kaleb Asamoah, Alex Amorosino, Tyler Chan, Jack Collier, Caleb Cuti, Levi Drucker-Mann, Shane Goldberg, Christopher Howell, Charles Jaffe, Devan Jiang, Hutch Karp, Bodhi Kehoe, Leo Mullin, Ben Robb, Jedi Scott, Lester Shamos, Donald Shields, Sam Swartz, Bryson Sylvain, Spencer Udin, Mick Waldman, Jasper Whiteley, Isaac Wise
Jazz Band I
Let it Snow
By Jule Styne
Arranged by Rick Stitzel
Directed by Dr. Orrin Wilson
Naomi Bobbitt ......................................................................................................... Vibraphone
Eshaan Dangayach .......................................................................................................... Guitar
Konatsu Iwai Piano
Dean Mcknight ..................................................................................................................... Bass
Jasper Mulligan Drums
Ryan Speaker................................................................................................................. Trumpet
Ellen Zwerling ................................................................................................. Alto Saxophone
Harmonics
Super Trouper
By Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus
Arranged by Takako Fuke
Directed by Mariko Watt
Phoebe Allen, Isa Anderson, Sonia Bogomolova, Isabella Carire, Maggie Cochran, Tessa Cooper, Chloe Einaudi, Cate Ferreira, Lucy Fleishhacker, Stavroula Gabriel*, Ryan Geisler*, Isabelle Gerling, Sasha Gilyadoff, Kailynn Hernandez, Esme Hort, Isabelle Kelley, Kiera Kinnane, Carolina Lisk, Sasha Londoner, Juliet Michaelis, Grayson Monacelli, Adelaide Swartz, Drew Waldman, Stella Yukhimets
*Co-leaders 2024–2025
String Ensemble
Ares
By Jay Coles
Ancient Aires and Dances
By Ottorino Respighi
Arranged by Jerry Brubaker
Directed by Carrie Dowell
Koen Chen, Sebastian Czaplicki, Ally Di Pietra, Jasper Inamoto, Bodhi Kehoe, Diangely Llano, Jack Pfeifer, Lila Rice, Chioma Stanley, Brianna Sylvain, Bryson Sylvain, Brandon Willabus, Leonardo Yang
Advanced String Ensemble
La Folia
By Arcangelo Corelli
Arranged by Caryn Wiegand Neidhold
Directed by Carrie Dowell
Koen Chen, Jasper Inamoto, Bodhi Kehoe, Jack Pfeifer, Chioma Stanley, Brandon Willabus, Leonardo Yang
Concert Choir
Tarantella
By Victor Bobetsky
Stand By Me
By Ben E King
Directed by Vincent Iannelli
Layla Adediran, Skindoo Adefris-Yaxley, Phoebe Allen, Kaleb Asamoah, Owen Berkley, Sonia Bogomolova, Celia Camara, Isabella Carire, Kedar Carrington, Logan Chaudoir, Caleb Cuti, Levi Drucker-Mann, Lucy Fleishhacker, Maeve Flynn, Kiana Freeman, Harper Giskan, Briyana Hart, Charles Jaffe, Mali Jalloh, George Jigarjian, Landon Lipton, Walker Lipton, Piper Lipton, Maddie Lucas, Maya Magnus, Nili Maltzman, Parke McDonald, Sydney McFarlane, Michael Menegatos, Alex Mezhburd, Carlyle Muldrow, Caroline Nemeth, Emmanuel Nikitiades, Benicio Quinones, Kara Shum, Zaire Spencer, Aviva Treister, Francis Van De Gevel, Mick Waldman
Advanced Concert Choir
MLK
By U2
Ocho Kandelikas
By Flory Jagoda
Directed by Vincent Iannelli
Griff Allen, Henry Crowley, Chloe Einaudi, Cate Ferreira, Gaby Flinn-Beane, Eliana Friedman, Stavroula Gabriel, Ryan Geisler, Isabelle Gerling, Esme Hort, Devan Jiang, Isabelle Kelley, Izzy Leyton, Zoe McCullough, Leo Mullin, Reese Roaman, Téa Sabbagh, Jedi Scott, Lester Shamos, Donald Shields, Adelaide Swartz, Sophia Taylor, Spencer Udin, Drew Waldman, Jasper Whiteley
Concert Choir & Advanced Concert Choir
Silent Night/Silent World
By Jay Althouse
Directed by Vincent Iannelli
Our Production Would Not Be Possible without the Generous Support of:
John Rankin
Interim Head of School
Michal Hershkovitz P’16, ’18
Assistant Head of School, Academics
Sarah Bates Head of Upper School
Daniel Doughty Head of Middle School
Michael S. Robinson Head of Arts
Ashley Hacker
Performing Arts Department Chair
Vincent Iannelli Music Programs Coordinator
The members of the Performing Arts faculty, the Engagement & Communications Department, the Admissions Department, the Poly Prep IT Staff, the Facilities and Maintenance Department, the Security Staff, the Kitchen Staff, and the Middle & Upper School Deans.
Please follow our new Poly Prep ARTS social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for all-things-art at Poly featuring students Nursery–Grade 12.
Join Us for These Upcoming Performing Arts Events
Afternoon of Student Choreography
RICHARD PERRY THEATRE
Sunday, January 26, 2025 | 3:00 PM
Upper School Musical: 9 to 5, the Musical Music and Lyrics by Dolly Parton, Book by Patricia Resnick
RICHARD PERRY THEATRE
Friday & Saturday, March 7 & 8, 2025 | 7:00 PM
Sunday, March 9, 2025 | 2:00 PM
Annual Spring Dance Concert
RICHARD PERRY THEATRE
Thursday & Friday, April 10 & 11, 2025 | 7:00 PM
Middle School Musical: Disney’s Newsies Jr. Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Jack Feldman, Book by Harvey Fierstein
RICHARD PERRY THEATRE
Friday, May 16, 2025 | 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 17, 2025 | 2:00 PM
Spring Arts: Vocal Concert
MEMORIAL CHAPEL
Thursday, April 24, 2025 | 7:00 PM
Spring Arts: Instrumental Concert
MEMORIAL CHAPEL
Thursday, May 1, 2025 | 7:00 PM
Stay tuned for more information about our upcoming events!