“Summer Camp,” this year’s grade 5 show, directed by Kellie Binney-Smart, featured a cast of 132 students performing a series of song and dance numbers about their adventures at Camp Runamok – encountering bugs, bears and camp leaders as they learn to fit in and make new friends. Students worked behind the scenes as well as on stage, with Danny Dunn’s lower school technical theater students serving as the show’s crew. Check out all the great, colorful photos, both in this story and the full set in the Harker Parent Portal!
In mid-December, students in grades 2-3 took the stage at the Bucknall Theater for the annual Grade 2-3 Holiday Show. Performers sang a selection of holiday-themed songs, including “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night” and “Happy Hanukkah!” Grade 2 teachers joined in the festivities during the performance of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and grade 3 teachers had a great time on stage during the students’ rendition of “Here Comes the Snow.”
In early January, the Student Directed Showcase, the first major upper school performing arts event of the year, treated audiences to a series of one-act plays directed by Harker Conservatory seniors. Directors prepared for the event during a months-long process that included choosing plays, casting, promotion and detailed planning.
In “Grover,” written by Joel Fishbane and directed by Chetana Kalidindi, a young woman separates from her husband and develops an elaborate deception to keep her persona non grata spouse at bay. Emre Ezer directed Clarence Coo’s “Removing the Glove,” a comedic but chilling alternate-reality tale in which being left-handed is so stigmatized that southpaws face widespread discrimination and bigotry. Sana Aladin looked to the classics, directing Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” a Victorian-era comedy about multiple identities. Don Zolidis’ “Dystopia!” directed by Kayvon Solaimanpour, presented a darkly funny nightmare scenario in which a group of teenagers must face the many dangerous tropes of young-adult dystopian fiction.
Six Harker students were recently invited to perform with the California Band Directors Association’s 2017 All-State ensembles. Alexa Gross, grade 12, joined the High School Symphonic Band as a bassoonist. Kai-Ming Ang and Katie Chang, both grade 9, will perform with the High School Concert Band on French horn and percussion, respectively. Junior Amy Jin will play violin for the High School Full Orchestra.
Eighth graders Anika Fuloria and Leland Rossi also successfully auditioned for junior high school ensembles. Fuloria, a string bassist, earned a spot on Junior High School Symphonic Band, while Rossi will play trumpet with the Junior High School Jazz Band.
The students will perform with their respective groups at the California All-State Music Education Conference. The event, to be held Feb. 16-19 in San Jose, is organized by the California Music Education Association.
As Harker prepared for the holiday break, first graders spread some cheer on the afternoon of Dec. 13 at the annual Grade 1 Holiday Show, directed by lower school music teacher Carena Kay. Students gathered on the stage at the Bucknall Theater to sing a collection of tunes celebrating the holiday season, including classics such as “Frosty the Snowman” and “Winter Wonderland,” as well as “Spin a Little Dreidl,” “Cold Snap” and others.
About halfway through the show, a group of grade 1 dancers performed a special routine, choreographed by Jessalyn Espiritu. Between songs, students performed amusing vignettes that also served as segues from one song to the next.
Instrumentalists and vocalists greeted the arrival of winter with a series of spirited performances at this year’s Lower School Winter Music Concert, held Dec. 1 at the Bucknall Theater. Music teacher Louis Hoffman led the Lower School Orchestra, which kicked off the concert with a rendition of Handel’s “La Rejouissance” and later offered a rollicking rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock.” The Lower School Jazz Ensemble, also directed by Hoffman, trotted out its versions of Sonny Rollins’ “St. Thomas” and “Mr. PC.” The Toni Woodruff-conducted Lower School String Ensemble contributed a lovely medley of Beethoven pieces and a performance of “Joust” by Richard Meyer. Directed by Kellie Binney-Smart, the Bucknall Choir performed a series of seasonal tunes, including the Brenda Lee favorite “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
As a special treat, the middle school’s Grade 6 Orchestra, directed by Dave Hart, and middle school vocal groups Vivace and Dynamics, directed by Maryloie Espinoza, made special appearances midway through the program.
Nine Harker students were recently named members of the All-State High School Honor Choir by the California chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Seniors Ashwin Rao and Tiffany Zhu, juniors Krishna Bheda and Millie Lin, sophomores Karli Sharp and Catherine Wang and freshmen Emily Chen, Joel Morel and Kalyan Narayanan will perform with the choir at San Jose’s Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph on Feb. 18.
These students make up the largest group ever from Harker to successfully audition for the choir, and the third largest group (tied with Lynbrook) from any school in California. It is also the first time three grade 9 students have qualified for the all-state choir.
The ACDA operates the All-State Honor Choirs in collaboration with the Southern California Vocal Association. To qualify, students must first successfully audition for a regional honor choir in their area. Those interested in singing with the all-state choir are then evaluated to determine whether they will participate.
“This Little Light of Mine,” the 2016 upper school fall choral concert, brought upper school vocal groups together at the Nichols Hall auditorium on Nov. 16. Bel Canto, Camerata, the student-run Guys’ Gig and Cantilena performed a wide selection of songs, ranging from Bel Canto’s renditions of the traditional spirituals “Turn Me ’Round” and “Shine On Me” to the Guys’ Gig reimagining of Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are” to Cantilena’s version of Abbie Betinis’ “We Have Come,” which featured instrumental accompaniment from violinist Ashwin Rao, grade 12, and Sumi Wadhwa, grade 11, on tambourine.
The final number of the evening featured all of the performers on stage together, singing a triumphant version of the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.”
Last week, Harker received a visit from the Emerald Brass Quintet. Formed in 2006 at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., this group of performers and educators has given master classes at universities across the country and has performed overseas in countries including Thailand and Germany.
Their first stop at Harker was music teacher Dave Hart’s classroom, where the quintet – in which Hart’s wife, Leslie, plays French horn – accompanied students in their renditions of “Amazing Grace” and “Can Can,” while offering advice on how to improve their performance techniques. At lunchtime, the quintet performed for middle school students and faculty.
Later, the musicians visited to the upper school, where they performed a series of works and took questions from students. Two grade 12 brass players, Jack Farnham and Melinda Wisdom, had the pleasure of performing pieces for the quintet, who offered the students advice on preparing for college auditions.
Last week, Harker received a visit from the Emerald Brass Quintet. Formed in 2006 at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., this group of performers and educators has given master classes at universities across the country and has performed overseas in countries including Thailand and Germany.
Their first stop at Harker was music teacher Dave Hart’s classroom, where the quintet – in which Hart’s wife, Leslie, plays French horn – accompanied students in their renditions of “Amazing Grace” and “Can Can,” while offering advice on how to improve their performance techniques. At lunchtime, the quintet performed for middle school students and faculty.
Later, the musicians visited to the upper school, where they performed a series of works and took questions from students. Two grade 12 brass players, Jack Farnham and Melinda Wisdom, had the pleasure of performing pieces for the quintet, who offered the students advice on preparing for college auditions.