Bittersweet Finale: The Spring Concert

With the semester coming to an end and students preparing for the last of their assessments, the annual Spring Concert has come up once more as one of the last events left before Masterman closes its doors for the summer. As the last big opportunity for several of Masterman’s musical clubs to showcase what they’ve been working on, this year’s concert has proven to be a spectacular finish to the 2024-2025 school year.

As Mrs. Neu, Masterman music teacher, shared, “The spring concert is bittersweet as we celebrate our seniors in their last performance, but we also have to say goodbye. Most of the seniors have been at the school for 8 years. I can remember them as tiny 5th graders playing in their first Spring Concert.  The concert is also bittersweet as it is Ms. Luna Dantagnan’s last concert. We are so happy that Dr. Shapiro [who was on sabbatical this year] will be returning next year, but also sad that Ms. Luna will be leaving. As a Masterman grad who’d been a part of our music program, she was the perfect choice to take Doc’s place this year. The students have developed a lovely relationship with Luna, and she has taken our choir to new levels. We will miss her.”

She continues to express that, “I am especially looking forward to conducting the fourth movement of the New World Symphony with the orchestra. The last time I conducted this piece was years ago when they had fired all of the instrumental music teachers in the district. I conducted this in front of the school district building, and we made the news. It was super powerful and meaningful, and I have a special connection with the piece. The tempo marking is con fuoco (with fire), and we will bring that fire!”

Members, like Sophia Zheng (‘28), stated that the orchestra provided “bonding time with my fellow orchestra people. And I believe that we performed really well that night. It was really fun.” Though there were worries prior to the concert, every aspect came together and exceeded expectations. “The Winter concert is like our midterm, and the Spring Concert is our final exam. And as we all know, Masterman students excel at taking exams. Even when I am not sure if we can pull off a certain piece of music or section of the music, they manifest greatness when they need to and blow me away at the concert,” noted Mrs. Neu. 

As the last chance for Masterman’s students to leave their mark on the 2024-2025 school year, the Spring Concert was a perfect celebration and demonstration of the students’ talents and spirits. Special shout-outs are given to the dedicated seniors, members, and newly-entered freshmen, who started this year and are already playing professional-level music in the ensembles, by Mrs.Neu. Energetic and emotional performances left a long-lasting impression on those who came. As the last farewell for many of the school’s skilled seniors and one of our beloved teachers, this year’s Spring Concert has truly captured what makes Masterman so special: the students.