WCS Orchestras had our largest number of Solo and Ensemble participants to date! Thirty-three students signed up to perform either solo (individually) or in a quartet (four people) or both! These 6th grade through high school-aged students traveled to NorthWood High School through ice and snow on the first Saturday of February. A professional judge listened to each performance and gave feedback according to a rubric. All our students received Gold and Silver awards based on their judge's score! Congratulations to these students for accepting the challenge of performing difficult music for a judge! 

The Select Theatre class and a small group of Honors Philharmonic Orchestra students collaborated to present the play "Queens." The play is based on King Henry VIII and his wives. Our performance won 1st place at the Regionals Competition hosted at WCHS in November 2024! Then in January 2025, our performance won 3rd place at the State Competition in Indianapolis! 

Both Orchestra groups did a FANTASTIC job at ISSMA Contest! The contest took place on April 19th at Concord High School. Each orchestra performed three pieces of music for three professional judges. Additionally, each group had to sight-read a brand new piece of music in front of a judge. Both the Obbligato String Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra earned a GOLD rating for their performances! The Gold awards show all the hard work these students put into preparing the music, refining their techniques, and putting their skills into a new context with new music.

Year-end Awards

Congratulations to senior Grace Ganser - Director's Award

Congratulations to senior Rosemary Kerr - National School Orchestra Award

The Advanced Middle School Orchestra students did an AMAZING job at ISSMA Contest! The contest took place on March 9th at Knox High School. The orchestra performed three pieces of music for three professional judges. Thanks to a strong performance, we earned a GOLD rating from all three judges! The Gold award shows all the hard work these students put into preparing the music and refining their skills. 

Every year in November, both Edgewood and Lakeview Middle School collaborate to present a Veterans Day Program. During this special concert, the middle school orchestra, band, and choir ensembles each perform selections and listen to a guest speaker. 

High School Orchestra students had a chance to represent the Orchestra program in a unique way. We participated in the movie-themed Homecoming Parade with our Jurassic Park float. Complete with Jurassic Park theme music! 

Orchestra students from WCHS, Edgewood, and Lakeview participated in the annual December Elementary Tours. The band, choir, and orchestra each performed holiday music for the elementary students. We hope we inspired some new students to join our music classes next year!

The Edgewood & Lakeview Advanced Orchestra, HS Obbligato String Orchestra, and HS Philharmonic Orchestra participated in the Indiana State School Music Association's Contest Festival. Each orchestra performed two music selections for three judges. Our ensembles received Silver and GOLD ratings for their excellent performances! 

WCS Orchestra and Choir students traveled to Walt Disney World for spring break 2022. Besides hanging out the in the parks, orchestra students participated in a movie soundtrack workshop with a professional Disney musician! 

The WCS Orchestra program is thrilled to be able to perform concerts again! We appreciate the safety measures in place to allow us to make music together. One of the best aspects of live music is being able to enjoy it as a community.