In this year’s National Young Composers Challenge, junior Anika Fuloria was named a finalist in the full orchestra category for her piece, titled “Worker 21486 – Life and Death in the Hive,” which received high praise from the competition’s judges. “This is quite a remarkable piece,” said Keith Lay, who teaches in the composition program at Full Sail University. “It’s unlike any other submission that we’ve received this year.”
A prolific composer, Fuloria has written music for Harker’s 2018 and 2019 fall plays and composed “The Final March” as a tribute to the senior class of 2019, which was performed at the upper school’s spring concert in May. She also performs in the bass section of the upper school orchestra, and this past weekend performed at the University of California, Santa Cruz, with the CODA (California Orchestra Directors Association) String Orchestra, leading the bass section after placing first in the seating audition.
Just before spring break, the Harker Orchestra traveled to Los Angeles to see a performance by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the world famous Walt Disney Concert Hall and attend workshops by Christopher Russell, conductor for Azusa Pacific University’s Symphony Orchestra, and Glenn Price, director of performing and visual arts at Caltech. They also made a special visit to Disneyland to take part in a Disney Performing Arts Soundtrack Session, in which they sight-read and recorded a portion of the soundtrack to a Disney film under the guidance of industry professionals, who gave them feedback on their work. Following the workshop with Russell, the orchestra gave a special live performance at the Universal Studios 5 Towers Stage.
Four upper school students were recently selected to be members of California All-State Honor Ensembles, and will perform at next week’s California All-State Music Education Conference, Feb. 14-17 in Fresno. Clarinetist Allison Yen, grade 11, and string bassist Anika Fuloria, grade 10, will both perform with Symphonic Band. Junior Kai-Ming Ang will play French horn for the Concert Band and cellist Rachel Broweleit, also a junior, will perform with the Symphony Orchestra. All four students are members of the upper school’s Harker School Orchestra, directed by Dave Hart.