“I Dream a World,” this year’s upper school fall vocal concert, brought the campus’s five choral groups together for a night that largely celebrated the music of North America and its multicultural traditions.
Bel Canto, directed by Jennifer Sandusky and accompanied by Vedaad Shakib, grade 11, started things off with the American folk tune “Down in the Valley,” followed by sprightly Canadian folk song “Rattle on the Stovepipe.” Bel Canto was then joined by the singers of Camerata and Acoustics to perform the concert’s namesake, Andre Thomas’ “I Dream a World.”
Susan Nace then directed Camerata in a stirring rendition of the American folk song “Shenandoah,” and Acoustics, co-directed by Ashwin Rao, grade 11, performed the Billie Holiday classic “God Bless the Child.”
The always-entertaining boys choir Guys’ Gig took the stage for a cappella performances of the Kelly Clarkson smash “Since U Been Gone” followed by “Up on the Roof,” made famous by doo-wop legends The Drifters.
Closing the evening were Cantilena, the women’s vocal group directed by Susan Nace, who delivered a rousing five-song set that included the traditional “Run Children Run,” the Iroquois soundscape “Watane” and Sue Johnson’s “Sister My Sister,” which included solos and duets highlighting the talents of every member of the group.
Study of Music and Spanish students came together to attend a special community concert celebrating Día de los Muertos on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. The San Francisco Symphony performed with Grammy winning Mexican-American singer-songwriter Lila Downs, and the show triggered thoughtful reactions from students who attended.
“I thought the concert was a great blend of classical and cultural music to please everyone of all ages and backgrounds,” said Jessica Zhu, grade 12. “ Lila Downs’ voice was powerful and soulful, as she told different stories and conveyed different feelings with each song.”
Vineet Kosaraju, grade 12, said the show complemented his classroom learning. “Before the concert, because I had never been to one before, I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” he said. “However, as soon as the concert started, I was immediately wowed by the powerful combination of music and culture, and I really enjoyed each of the pieces. As I had taken Spanish in the past, it was nice to relate the theoretical information about the celebration I learned in class to seeing the festive tradition in person.”
Other students also expressed positive reactions to the show. “I enjoyed how the music was adapted for an orchestra, which blended together Latin American and more traditional styles,” said Alex Yu, grade 9.
While Lawrence Li, grade 12, noted he “thought that the first half of the concert was mysterious, enchanting, but powerful at the same time,” Logan Bhamidipaty, grade 9, said he “found that Lila Downs’ voice in the second half reinvigorated the performance with a fresh, modern twist on classical Latin American music.” Great crossover outing!
This year’s fall play, “The Laramie Project,” saw the Harker Conservatory tackle some tough material with grace and style. Upper school drama teacher Jeffrey Draper directed this story about the 1998 kidnapping, beating and murder of a 21-year-old student in Laramie, Wyo. Due to the victim’s sexual orientation, the act was classified as a hate crime.
Compiled from interviews from Laramie’s citizens, members of the media and all manner of personalities surrounding the incident, the story plays out via a non-traditional structure in which “moments” are juxtaposed with one another. Every member of the cast worked overtime, portraying multiple characters, more than 60 in total, with a minimal set by Paul Vallerga meant to capture the open Wyoming plains.
The ever-present team of lighting designer Natti Pierce-Thomson, costume designer Caela Fujii and production manager Brian Larsen again came together to help produce this exceptionally powerful work. Several students also worked behind the scenes to produce the play, namely stage manager Aishu Murari, grade 12, sound board operator Zachary Wong, grade 9, video lead Tamar Sasson, grade 9, and light board operator Shilpa Repakula, grade 12.
A group of 27 upper school students traveled to Ashland, Ore., for the annual visit to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), a professional theater company that specializes in classic and contemporary works. There, the students attended the OSF production of Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra,” Lynn Nottage’s “Sweat” and Stan Lai’s “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land.”
In addition, the OSF provided intensive workshops, run by OSF actors and teachers, to enhance the students’ overall understanding of the plays they attended. In one session, students learned about the literary concept of the hero’s journey by having a student cover their eyes while other students acted as guides.
Read more about Harker’s annual trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the upcoming Winter 2015 issue of the Harker Quarterly.
A group of 27 upper school students traveled to Ashland, Ore., for the annual visit to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), a professional theater company that specializes in classic and contemporary works. There, the students attended the OSF production of Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra,” Lynn Nottage’s “Sweat” and Stan Lai’s “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land.”
In addition, the OSF provided intensive workshops, run by OSF actors and teachers, to enhance the students’ overall understanding of the plays they attended. In one session, students learned about the literary concept of the hero’s journey by having a student cover their eyes while other students acted as guides.
Read more about Harker’s annual trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the upcoming Winter 2015 issue of the Harker Quarterly.
A group of 27 upper school students traveled to Ashland, Ore., for the annual visit to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), a professional theater company that specializes in classic and contemporary works. There, the students attended the OSF production of Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra,” Lynn Nottage’s “Sweat” and Stan Lai’s “Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land.”
In addition, the OSF provided intensive workshops, run by OSF actors and teachers, to enhance the students’ overall understanding of the plays they attended. In one session, students learned about the literary concept of the hero’s journey by having a student cover their eyes while other students acted as guides.
Read more about Harker’s annual trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the upcoming Winter 2015 issue of the Harker Quarterly.
Eleven Harker students recently passed the auditions for the 2015 American Choir Directors Association Regional Honor Choir. Each student was judged in several key categories, including solo presentation, musicality and tone quality. These students are also now eligible to become members of the All-State Honor Choir and National Honor Choir.
This article originally appeared in the fall 2015 Harker Quarterly.
Junior Edward Oh, a cellist with The Harker School Orchestra, spent late June and early July touring Europe with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, performing in amazing venues in six cities including Milan, Berlin and Amsterdam. “We were extremely privileged to play in the Berlin Philharmonie and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw,” exclaimed Oh.
Oh, who has been playing the cello for more than a decade, looked back on the trip fondly and expressed gratitude at having such a unique opportunity. “The tour itself was a tremendous opportunity for me to not only perform in grand venues, but to also gain an invaluable amount of experience in orchestral playing,” he said.
When they weren’t rehearsing or performing, members of the youth orchestra enjoyed sightseeing.
“A trip to Europe is something some people can only hope to dream of and I am eternally grateful to my parents and mentors for assisting me,” Oh added.
This article originally appeared in the fall 2015 Harker Quarterly.
In August, pianist Andrew Semenza, grade 10, spent two weeks at the Beijing International Music Festival and Academy (BIMFA), where he took part in a master class, received private lessons, played with a chamber music group and performed in numerous concerts.
Semenza was asked to apply for the camp by his private piano teacher, who recently joined the BIMFA faculty. “The festival was not only an opportunity to learn intensively in two weeks, but also a successful cultural exchange where I was able to visit many historical sights and explore the city,” said Semenza. “Overall, it was a very enriching and enjoyable experience musically and culturally.”
This article originally appeared in the fall 2015 Harker Quarterly.
In mid-August, Nathan Liu, grade 4, and Tiffany Zhao, grade 9, traveled to Germany to play piano at the Sulzbach-Rosenberg Interna- tional Music Festival.
During a student concert held in the town hall and open to the public, Liu and Zhao played a duet (a Brahms waltz) together, in addition to doing solo performances. Liu had the distinction of being the youngest musician invited to the festival.
While in Germany both Liu and Zhao were able to learn skills from many top international musicians, as well as spend time at a historic music school which was remodeled from a medieval castle.
“I learned how to cooperate with other musicians, as well as train my ear to listen to other people and play accordingly. It was also a great experience to mentor a younger musician,” Zhao said.
Liu concurred: “I learned a lot from the more experienced musicians. Overall, it was an unforgettable two weeks!”
To view their duet: https://youtu.be/ HUXzL16Fg9M.