Celebrating the Season through Music
Having Fun in Orchestra
A bass player in a Peter Pan hat ... a violinist dressed as a dragon ... and a cellist in a crown were just some of the student-musicians in costume on Halloween afternoon. They were part of John Jay High School’s Orchestra's pop-up performance during ninth period on October 31. Conductor Elissa Leventhal organized the event as a fun way to showcase the orchestra's work and get students into the spooky spirit.
A crowd of students—many also dressed for Halloween—gathered in the library hallway to hear the orchestra perform “Phantom Waltz” and “Apocalypse.”
Playing Classical ... in Costume
Matthew Cazacu
Meet the Soloists
“It was definitely fun,” junior violist Sophie Hunsberger and sophomore cellist Matthew Cazacu—the two featured soloists—agreed. “It was a relief to be soft and ominous in ‘Apocalypse’ after playing loud in ‘Phantom Waltz.’”
Both students are members of the Tri-M, an international music honor society which provides music-based leadership and service opportunities. They are looking forward to doing more free public performances, particularly at nursing homes during the holidays.
