Concert Highlights: Northern Tier Symphony Orchestra & Abington Heights Honors Orchestra

On Friday, April 8th, Abington Heights High School hosted the Northern Tier Symphony of Marywood University in our auditorium for a night of beautiful music and magical memories. For the Abington Heights Honors Orchestra students who participated in the concert, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform with a group of more experienced musicians, guiding and supporting them to continue improving their musical talents.

Conducted by Tom Bassett, the night was a wonderful mixture of calm and more energetic classical pieces; some well known and a couple that fly completely under the radar. The orchestras together created a musical environment that was inviting for classical lovers and casual enjoyers alike! The playing was so exquisite that it genuinely sounded equal to an official recording of these songs. The set list included:

• Egmont Overture...................... ....Ludwig van Beethoven

• Symphony No. 8 ("Unfinished")...............Franz Schubert

• Symphony No. 6..........................................William Boyce

• Elsa's Processional to the Cathedral…….Richard Wagner

• Slavonic Dances No. 3 ................................Anton Dvorak

Following the concert, I interviewed some of the Honors students who participated in the concert to get an insight into what this experience meant to them.

“In many ways, playing with the NTSO was a truly once in a lifetime experience for somebody that is going into music. Being able to play with experienced musicians in a setting with drastically more difficult repertoire than you would typically see in a high school is something that you can’t typically find in a high school orchestra. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that was brought before me, and I’ve had a ton of fun playing in a professional symphony orchestra with some of my closest friends! Overall great experience.” —Aidan Lam, Sophomore.

“Playing with the Northern Tier Symphony Orchestra was an amazing experience to have! Being able to meet and learn from professional musicians is something that will help me as I continue playing. This is an incredibly rare opportunity for a high school group to have, and I’m honored to have taken part in it!” —Natalie Wince, Junior.

“As a senior, I am really grateful to have this experience with my fellow classmates before I move on to the next phase of my life. Playing these pieces and bonding over them with these wonderful people has made my senior year so much better and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything! I'm also very grateful that I had this special opportunity to play with a professional orchestra and see how they operate as a whole. I've had so much fun playing with the NTSO, and I'm very fortunate to have this experience that not many high schoolers are able to have done! Thank you NTSO and thank you to all of my wonderful and talented classmates, I'm sure you're heading to great places!” —Ben Schneider, Senior.

“It was definitely a fun experience and felt amazing to accomplish. The music was really difficult which I thought would decrease the amount of fun I had, but instead it pushed me and motivated me to get better, and I had a lot of fun in the process. I hope to work with some of these people again, and it was nice to get my name and Abington’s name out there. Very grateful!” —Justin Dzikowski, Sophomore.

“Playing with the NTSO definitely pushed me to new limits, and I am very appreciative to have this opportunity. Even though it was very stressful and difficult at times, my love and passion for music was enough motivation to keep practicing and learn all of the music. I have learned a lot about myself as a musician because of this, and will walk away from this experience with many great memories.” —Kyle Munley, Senior.

“The Northern Tier Symphony Orchestra has been such an incredible opportunity for us to challenge ourselves and work with professional musicians. It has been such a privilege to come alongside other musicians to encourage and learn from one another!” —Emma Illian, Junior.

“Playing with the Northern Tier Symphony Orchestra was definitely not something I expected doing this year. Not only was it challenging to learn the pieces, but it was also a phenomenal experience to have with my class! At first I felt like it was near impossible to learn everything, but then after we rehearsed with Mr Basset, I had more hope. In the end, you can do anything if you work hard for it and that’s something every musician should keep in mind. With the lack of support our music department gets, it means a lot to me that my orchestra class was offered an opportunity like this!” —Matt Driesbaugh, Junior.

“Playing with the NorthernTier Symphony Orchestra was such an incredible experience, especially with all the restrictions Covid-19 has placed on us the last few years. It was so beneficial to be able to meet other performers who have the same passions we do, and the energy that was created from so many shared passions in one room was unforgettable .” —Julie Dzikowski, Senior.