Senior Chardonnay Needler plays “Courante” and “Menuets I and II” from Johann Sebastian Bach's "Cello Suite in G Major." (Photo by Shimin Zhang)

School receives four gold medals, one silver medal at Golden Empire Music Festival

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

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