About ETHS Orchestra

About Orchestra At ETHS!

Advantages to taking Orchestra in High School

• Orchestra meets during the school day

• Orchestra can be taken for regular or honors credit

• Semi-annual trips to places like Disneyworld, New York, and Washington D.C.!

• Lots of social connections – Orchestra is a friendly place in a big school

Flexibility

A large percentage of Orchestra students participate in fall, winter, and spring sports as well as Cheerleading and Pomkits, are involved in theater productions, are members of the Choral program, and participate in clubs and activities offered by ETHS in addition to Orchestra. Freshmen have no problems placing orchestra in their schedule and can still participate in sports, clubs, and activities.

Variety of Experiences

ETHS Orchestra students form two ability-based orchestras, the Baroque Ensemble, Chamber Groups, Fiddling Groups, and the pit orchestras for the all-school musical and for YAMO. The program also offers an honors recital and solo and ensemble festival, a student music mentorship program, and much more!

Performance Opportunities

Performance opportunities include four annual music program concerts, adjudicated festivals throughout the state and region, opportunities to perform at prestigious venues such as the U of I Krannert Center, the Peoria Civic Center, Chicago’s Symphony Center, Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, and many more.

Travel

As an orchestra program, all of our students are given opportunities to travel – in our orchestra program as well as in our jazz and marching programs. Previous destinations have included New York City, Disney World, New Orleans, Washington D.C., and Toronto.

Professional Feedback

Throughout a four-year orchestra experience, students will have many opportunities to receive invaluable feedback from professional musicians. All of our orchestra receive clinics from the pros. The ETHS Orchestra program employs an excellent adjunct faculty of private lesson teachers who run sectionals and teach lessons on our campus on a regular basis. In addition, thanks to the help of the Fodor Fund Artist in Residency program, our students have the opportunity to perform with world-renowned soloists in live concert settings!

Opportunities for Individual Support

ETHS faculty members are available before and after school and during free periods to offer additional help to all orchestra students. The music wing also functions as a study-center, affording all music students the opportunity to utilize our many classrooms and practice rooms during their free time. As part of our music mentorship program, students seeking additional support can be paired up with upperclassmen orchestra students – offering both a musical support system as well as a social connection within our program.