About the Central High School Orchestras

The Central High School Orchestra program consists of two curricular orchestras: Sinfonia and Chamber Orchestra. Our ensembles are growing year after year and are over 70 students strong! The Central High School Orchestra first performed for graduation for the Central class of 1907 and has been a regularly running class since with a brief hiatus during the mid sixties until 1979. Central's Orchestra has been recognized in the region and state as an exemplary group of string musicians with numerous awards and recognitions over the last four decades. 

Orchestra class focuses on developing ensemble skills, string instrument technique, and improving overall musicianship. We accomplish this through our class time, individual/group lessons, and practice time at home. Our learning is based on the Wisconsin Standards for Performing Music and American String Teacher's Association (ASTA) curriculum.

The orchestras typically perform twice in the fall, and twice in the spring at Central High School. In addition to a fall, winter, and spring concert, students also perform at our annual Large Group Festival and All-City String Festival. Large Group Festival takes place during the school day in November, and students work with an expert clinician to improve their skills as a group. The All-City String Festival is an annual performance of all string players in the La Crosse School District from grades 5-12. Our orchestras also have the opportunity to perform for a clinician at an annual Solo and Ensemble Festival. More details about the performances of the Central Orchestras can be found in the Orchestra Syllabus.