Three Riverhead High School ensembles participated in the Worldstrides Onstage Heritage Festival in Boston last month and they brought home a bus load of awards.
Riverhead Chamber Choir and Chamber Orchestra both received gold medals for their performances at the festival, and the Riverhead Jazz Ensemble received a silver medal.
“Worldstrides Onstage exceeded our expectations for a competitive festival,” said Marisa Macchio, high school orchestra director. “The other ensembles who competed were of a much higher caliber compared to festivals in which we’ve participated previously. The clinicians were from some of the best music schools in the country and offered some really productive feedback for our students. The students loved seeing the city of Boston and experiencing some of the sights the city has to offer. I was thoroughly impressed by the festival itself and how all of our students performed. The Chamber Orchestra won the highest honor and was invited to the Festival of Gold on the West Coast next year.”
Riverhead Chamber Orchestra also received the honor of Outstanding Orchestra. The “Outstanding” awards go to the individual group with the highest overall score, regardless of group type or classification.
The Riverhead Chamber Orchestra also received an Adjudicator Award. The Adjudicator Award is the hardest to obtain. It is given based on the adjudicator rating or by personal recommendation by the adjudication team.
Riverhead High School also received the festival sweepstakes, which goes to organizations that enter in both the choral and instrumental categories. To qualify for festival sweepstakes, schools must enter one traditional choral group, one traditional instrumental group, and a third musical group of their choice excluding drum-lines and auxiliaries. The school that accumulates the highest number of points towards a perfect score of 300 determines the winner.
High school student Nikita Sipiaguine received a Maestro Award, which is given based on the recommendation of the adjudicators. As they adjudicate throughout the day, judges ask students to watch and listen for individuals who display excellence in their craft.
Riverhead Chamber Orchestra received an invitation to a future Festival of Gold. This series of music festivals are the only festivals produced by this organization that are by invitation or audition only. The Festivals of Gold take place in some of the most famous and amazing performance venues in the country and a faculty of adjudicators includes the finest music educators in the world.
Next season, Worldstrides Onstage will be producing five Elite Series Band and Orchestra Festivals in Chicago, Washington D.C, Nashville, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These events are reserved for concert bands and orchestras that have successfully auditioned for an invitation. By virtue of their ‘golden’ performance at the Festival by achieving an average score of 90 points or higher, Riverhead Chamber Orchestra has been officially invited to participate in one of these upcoming Festivals of Gold.
“The Worldstrides Heritage music festival was a tremendously valuable experience for all our Riverhead music students,” said RHS chorus director Dena Tishim. “Not only did the adjudicators share excellent feedback about each musical performance, but the students got to walk the Freedom Trail and experience the history of the town of Boston – from the Science Museum to Paul Revere’s house. These students truly experienced something that was a once in a lifetime experience and will not be forgotten.”
Sophomore Lauren Schaefer agreed. “It was an extraordinary experience. On a personal level, I’m ecstatic about our accomplishments. We deserved it. The entire weekend was inspiring for us all. I’m excited to see what next year’s trip brings!”
Congratulations to all the student performers and their advisors.
Source: Press release issued by Riverhead Central School District dated May 4, 2016.
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