Alpharetta High Musicians Perform at Carnegie Hall
Alpharetta, Ga. – On March 23rd the Alpharetta High School Orchestras and Band traveled to New York City to perform in world famous Carnegie Hall on March 25th at the National Band and Orchestra Festival in the Stern Auditorium on the Perelman Stage. The invitation-only performance selections included compositions of Johannes Brahms, Claude T. Smith, Gustav Mahler and Gustav Holst.
Judges of the competition provided the Orchestras and Band superlative ratings of their performance, and audience reaction was overwhelmingly positive and congratulatory, employing descriptions such as “exquisite, magnificent sound” and a “professional performance”. The musicians themselves were thrilled with this perhaps “once in a lifetime” event, commenting that the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall was “surreal”, “incredible”, “awe-inspiring”, “magical and unforgettable” and “breathtaking”.
One musician perhaps summed it up for the entire group by stating “the first note we played seemed as if it floated right in front of us – as if we could touch it and literally mix it with our next note”. Another said “the feeling of confidence after performing well onstage really brought our orchestra together as a community”.
While in New York the students took advantage of the world’s greatest city by visiting the 9/11 Memorial, attending performances of Les Misérables on Broadway and the Blue Man Group a bit further downtown. Also included were walking tours of the Big Apple along with shopping and feasting on local New York cuisine, and enjoying a trip on the NYC Subway System.
The Alpharetta High School Orchestras are led by Conductor Sheldon Fisher and Guest Conductor Sharon Anderson. The Alpharetta High School Band is led by Band Director Michael J. Walsh and Assistant Band Director Ira Jenkins.
