Amid the shouts and applause of more than a thousand high-school musicians, junior Ryan Ho and freshman Serajh Esmail walked onstage to accept the Sweepstakes Trophy for Country Day at the Forum Music Festival’s Judges’ Invitational Competition in Anaheim, April 19.
The Sweepstakes Trophy is awarded to the school with the highest combined score of its band and orchestra.
At the festival the high-school Orchestra won first place, the high-school Concert Band placed second and the high-school Jazz Band, the only high-school jazz band competing, received a silver rating.
The middle-school Jazz Band and Orchestra both won second place.
Individually, sophomore Micaela Bennett-Smith received the Outstanding Musicianship Award for being the best soloist in the Jazz Band.
And sophomore Emma Williams was named the Outstanding High School Instrumentalist of all high-school orchestra players at the festival.
Sixth grader Allison Zhang won the same award for middle schoolers.
