On Tuesday, September 24, the Westminster Upper School’s Chamber and Philharmonia Orchestras performed alongside the Middle School Orchestra in their first concert of the year. The Upper School played four pieces that they have been rehearsing for months.
“They sound amazing, I wish everyone could hear their performance,” said Upper School Orchestra Director Joli Wu. “I haven’t heard an orchestra play like this in a school setting in a very long time.”
This year’s Fall Concert promised exciting surprises, with both a special faculty performance and a record-breaking ensemble size. Upper School math teacher, Doug Boomer, will, for the first time, join the Chamber Orchestra’s viola section. For the past month, Boomer has attended 6th period rehearsals, learning and growing alongside some of his own math students.
“Mr. Boomer makes violas for a living; music is his happy place,” said Wu. “In the past couple of years, he’s taken an interest in the Orchestra, so this year, I invited him to join us in class.”
This marks the first time a non-orchestra faculty member has participated in an Upper School performance, and students are thrilled. The Chamber Orchestra violinists have warmly welcomed Boomer, with some even thanking him in the hallways for his contribution.
Alongside Boomer’s debut, this year marks a significant milestone for the Chamber Orchestra. The group now boasts a record-breaking 49 musicians— its largest ensemble to date. Combined with the 22 students in the Philharmonia, the Upper School orchestra program has grown to an impressive size, reflecting both student dedication and the department’s remarkable strength.
The 9th grade Philharmonia Orchestra kicked off the program with two selections: “Perpetuoso” by Brian Holmes and Gustav Holst’s “Brook Green Suite.”
“Perpetuoso” features an energetic, fast-paced melody filled with rhythmic complexity.
Following that, the Philharmonia performed “Brook Green Suite,” a dramatic but lyrical piece full of intense emotion and depth.
“The music is hard,” said Wu, “but our 9th graders are up for the challenge.”
After the Philharmonia, the 10th-12th grade Chamber Orchestra took the stage with Felix Mendelssohn’s “Sinfonia No. 2” and Reynard Burns’ “Tango Loco.” Daniel Ivansco, a 9th grade cellist talented enough to play with both orchestras, expresses excitement over the tango.
“I played “Tango Loco” two years ago in the All-State orchestra and found the cello part more interesting than the other pieces,” said Ivansco.
The piece, a Latin-American tango, features challenging shifts and contemporary melodies, adding diversity to the Chamber Orchestra’s repertoire. Ivansco enjoys the difficulty and how sharply the piece differs from the orchestra’s usual classics.
Despite the challenge of balancing two orchestras, Ivansco enjoys playing with upperclass students. He especially appreciates the increased rigor of Upper School technique classes and Wu’s more focused teaching.
Like Ivansco, sophomore violinist Leonardo Castro-Balbi shared a similar enthusiasm for the tango piece.
“It’s definitely my favorite,” he said. “Especially our concert master’s solo, which is really just super amazing.”
The solo, performed by the Chamber Orchestra’s concert master, junior Lucas Liu, captivated Tuesday’s audience.
The orchestras have worked tirelessly over the past couple of months to perfect their pieces with multiple playing assessments and intensive in-class focus.
“We’ve improved very fast,” said Castro-Balbi. “Ms. Wu’s teaching is very effective, and we’ve gotten a lot better in the past month, so we’re definitely ready.”
The Upper School Orchestra musicians were excited and prepared to show the results of their hard work.
Edited by Lucas Liu
