On March 2, the high school concert band, chamber group and two soloists competed in the Golden Empire Solo/Ensemble Music Festival at California State University, Sacramento.
The groups and individuals raked in four gold medals and one silver medal.
Senior Monique Lonergan participated as a soloist singer for the first time, earning a gold medal.
“I sang ‘Le Violette’ by Alessandro Scarlatti,” Lonergan said. “I was kind of nervous because I had never competed as a soloist before, but the adjudicator was really nice and gave some very helpful feedback.”
Senior Chardonnay Needler also earned a gold medal as a soloist, playing the cello. She performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Courante” and “Menuets I and II” from the “Cello Suite in G Major.”
In addition, the trio of Needler (cello) , senior Allison Zhang (violin) and junior Shimin Zhang (piano) earned a gold medal. They played “Spring” by Astor Piazzolla.
The high school band also won a gold medal in the woodwind ensemble category, playing “The Marriage of Figaro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The woodwind ensemble consisted of seniors Heidi Johnson, Alex Rogawski and Harrison Moon; juniors Max Kemnitz and Bill Tsui; sophomores Elijah Azar and Michael Tovar; and freshmen Craig Bolman, Ethan Monasa and Arijit Trivedi.
The piano quartet of junior Emma Boersma and sophomores Sarina Rye, Elise Sommerhaug and Erin Wilson earned a silver medal for “Sonata (Siciliano)” by Josef Hellmesberger.
The gold medalists advance to the Northern California State Solo/Ensemble Music Competition, May 3-4 at Sacramento State.
—By Miles Morrow
