On November 7th, Interlake orchestra students gathered for “A Taste of Music” hosted by Gigi Yellen of Northwest Public Broadcasting. The annual fundraiser features performances by Interlake’s three orchestras, and a number of talented soloists.
Among the soloists who performed in 2018’s A Taste of Music was violinist Charlotte Marckx, a junior who has been featured on Strings Magazine and NPR’s From the Top. Melody Zhang (seen to the right), a freshman who is a finalist in the NOCCO Concerto Competition and will be performing at Carnegie Hall with the High School Honors String Orchestra this February, performed a solo as well.
The fundraiser raises money for instruments, repairs, festival and competition fees, clinicians, and other necessary accessories to optimize student learning, through a raffle of donated items.
A brief intermission during the event features plates of desserts and marks the beginning of the raffle for donations from Interlake families, students, and the community. These donations ranged from gym memberships to a Tesla test-drive, private music lessons, and artwork created by orchestra students. Holly Zhu, a sophomore violist, can be seen to the left displaying personalized holiday cards, each with unique lettering.
The proceeds from the event have gone to good use, as Interlake orchestra students had the opportunity soon after the event to work with the Lafayette Quartet from University of Victoria on Shostakovich’s String Quartet No.8 in C minor. Much of the money will also be going towards the Sinfonia Orchestra’s trip to San Francisco for the Heritage Festival, and the Chamber Orchestra’s trip to Victoria this coming year.
Overall, the key feature of the Interlake orchestra program is that it allows students to dive deeper into their artistic passion and away from the stress of daily life. On trips, students develop new techniques and learn about professional musicianship from musicians from around the United States, as well as play for new audiences and bond with their fellow student musicians to create a tight-knit orchestra family.
In order to receive a first-hand recount of the extent of impact music has on students’ lives, I asked Russell Sam, principal cellist of the Interlake Chamber Orchestra, what orchestra means to him. “I joined orchestra because music has always been a huge part of my life,” said Sam. “With all the modern pop songs playing on the radio and in school, it’s nice to take a break with the music we play in orchestra”.
With the help of donations and the exemplary instruction and guidance from Orchestra Director Dr. Katsman, Sam affirms, regarding the future of the chamber orchestra, “…although we could use some improvement in certain areas, I believe we can really come together and be a successful orchestra.”