The City High orchestra program performed for the last time in the 2024-2025 school year on Wednesday evening.
Symphony Orchestra, City High’s top string group, played classics like Antonio Vivaldi’s Winter concerto from The Four Seasons and themes from Holst’s The Planets, as well as Rhosymedre by Vaughn Williams.
“I really enjoyed the Vivaldi,” Tai Caputo ‘25 said. “We ran it a number of times in various different places and under different circumstances in order to have both the stability and flexibility to convey the idea of Winter.”
Caputo performed the solo violin part of the first and third movement of Antonio Vivaldi’s Winter Concerto from the Four Seasons. Next year, she plans to attend Yale, where she will continue to play violin while studying a mix of liberal arts subjects.
“When I look back on my four years in the City High orchestra program, I think about how interesting it is to observe how the orchestra has evolved over time,” Caputo said.
In addition to performances by Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra, and Concert Orchestra, graduating seniors were also recognized and awards were presented to some members of Symphony Orchestra. Nina and Nicole Peterson ‘25 were awarded the Conductor’s Award, and Molly Savage ‘25 and Tai Caputo were selected for the Key Award. Joanna Galluzzo, Sam Glass, Sylvia Plank, were all recognized for their work as teaching assistants.
“I think it went well. Sylvia [Plank ‘25] is really talented and I’ll be sorry to see her leave,” Celeste Miller ‘27, a cellist in Symphony Orchestra, said. “She’s worked really hard with everybody and I think it’s really paid off, especially in the Vivaldi.”
As the red curtains of Opstad Auditorium closed for the last time this year, seniors reflected on the years they spent as part of the City High performing arts programs.“Being on the Opstad stage for the last time in my high school career was very bittersweet,” Brody Clarke ‘25, who played percussion on The Planets, said. “When I thought back to all of the performances I’ve done in Opstad, I realized that I’ve contributed a lot to the City High performing arts department and I felt like I did my part. It’s kind of my time to go, as sad as it is.”
