Sinfonia orchestra is an auditioned orchestra of 28-32 students open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. Auditions for Sinfonia Orchestra will happen at the beginning of 2nd semester. If we know that there are going to be any open spots during 2nd semester, then auditions will happen at the end of 1st semester for the open spot(s) only. The sinfonia plays a wide variety of orchestral music ranging from grade 4 to Grade 5. Some examples of the music that we play are: Dag Wiren – Serenade for Strings, Gustav Holst – St. Paul Suite, Benjamin Britten – Simple Symphony, Coheed and Cambria – Welcome Home, Edvard Grieg – Aus Holberg Zeit. The goal of the Sinfonia orchestra is to teach advanced orchestra techniques and skills, and to give students the skills they need to be well rounded musicians.
Besides the usual concerts and contests throughout the year the Sinfonia may play at other events in the community.
Philharmonic Orchestra is a non-audition orchestra open to all students. The Philharmonic Orchestra currently has between 45 and 50 students. The goal of the Philharmonic Orchestras is to create well rounded musicians though the music that we play, the activities that we do in class, and the practice that we do out of class. This is accomplished by teaching new students how to play a stringed instrument and read music by working with a peer tutor and Mr. Noser, to teach intermediate students new techniques like vibrato and shifting, and (for those students who already know how to play with vibrato and shift) to help intermediate students improve their string playing by making a more refined and characteristic tone on their instrument by playing with good posture, correct bowings, correct intonation, clean vibrato, and smooth shifting. The Philharmonic Orchestra plays music ranging from grade 3 to 4.5 over the course of the year. Some examples of music that the Philharmonic Orchestra plays are: Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture, Robert Kerr – Paul Bunyan Suite, Francis Feese – Colorado Suite, The Killers – Mr. Brightside.