WELLESLEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PERFORMING ARTS

Voice Master Class at WHS!

On February 19, 2012 at 3:00pm in the choir room, the WHS Choral Department hosted a voice masterclass with voiceteacher and opera singer Cherie Caluda. Cherie is a voice teacher from the Hartt School located at the University of Hartford. As a professional singer, Miss Caluda sang with such opera companies as New Orleans Opera, Sarasota Opera, Buffalo Opera, and San Francisco Opera's touring company, Western Opera Theater. Her roles have included Pamina and Papagena in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Musetta in Puccini's La Bohème, Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata, the title role of Massenet's Manon, Norina in Donizetti's Don Pasquale, Micaëla and Frasquita in Bizet's Carmen, the Sandman and Dew Fairy in Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel, Tytania in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Antonia in Les Contes d'Hoffman, and Miss Silverpeal in Mozart's The Impresario. In the masterclass, Cherie worked with WHS students Anna Morrison, Madeleine Beimford, Matt Norwood, Lydia Tuffy, and Katie Pedersen. Cherie spoke about topics related to body allignment, use of the breath, and vocal diction. Read more about Cheri Caluda here. Cheri is working with WHS seniors Anna Morrison and Matt Norwood in the photos above.

Congratulations to the Performing Arts Students who were recently accepted to the Massachusetts Music Educators Association All-State ensembles. These students have been recognized for their outstanding musicianship and identified as some of the strongest high school musicians in our state. All-State Participants will rehearse and perfom with an all-star band, chorus, orchestra, or jazz band and perform on the stage of Boston Symphony Hall the weekend of March 1-3.Congratulations to the following WHS musicians who have been selected to be in the All States Music Festival in March:

Festival Chorus
Soprano: Laura Scott
Alto: Mae Buckley, Anna Morrison, Lucy Morse
Tenor: Conor Chinitz, Alexander Golob

Jazz Band
Chris Angle, Saxophone

Orchestra
Jaclyn Lunger, Violin; Yuto Hirano*, Cello; Katie Senter, Bassoon; Ben Scammel*, Trumpet; Tim Maines*, Trombone

Concert Band
Kelly Alexander, Oboe; Sarah Rappaport, French Horn

(* denotes principal player in Orchestra)

Congratulations to all the participants in the Fifth Annual Eastern Senior District Concert held at Boston Latin School on January 7, 2012. Representing Wellesley were:

Festival Chorus
Soprano: Courtney Baldwin, Laura Scott
Alto: Mae Buckley, Caroline Eldridge, Anna Morrison, Lucy Morse
Tenor: Conor Chinitz, Alexander Golob, Alex Hu, Weston Jacoby
Bass: Matthew Norwood, James Wall

Jazz Band
Chris Angle*, Saxophone; Brian Rolincik*, Trombone

Orchestra
Kenyon Alexander, Jaclyn Lunger, Amy Hsieh, Violins; James Scott, Viola; Yuto Hirano*, Elizabeth McTighe, Cellos; Katie Senter*, Bassoon; Ben Scammel, Trumpet; Sarah Rappaport*, French Horn, Tim Maines*, Trombone

Concert Band
Eve Roth, Flute; Kelly Alexander*, Oboe; Quinn Collins, Clarinet; Eric Pinsker-Smith, Bass Clarinet; Bennett Capozzi, Trumpet; Garrett Lam, French Horn; Connor Meyers*, Timpani

(* denotes principal player in Jazz Band, Orchestra, or Concert Band)

Jazz Concert at TCAN courtesy of Liz Kelley

Hairspray Photos courtesy of Laura Hockett

More Hairspray Photos (Rehearsal and Dress Rehearsal) courtesy of Erin Reilly

Jazz Concert Performers

The Wellesley High School Two O'Clock Jazz Band is one of three auditioned instrumental jazz groups at WHS. They have been consistent gold medal recipients at a number of Massachusetts jazz festivals and have placed first at the University of New Hampshire and Berklee College of Music jazz festivals. This year, they were also selected as a finalist for the Charles Mingus Competition at the Manhattan School of Music. Over the years, students in the Wellesley Jazz Program have worked with guest performing artists and clinicians including: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra members, Herb Pomeroy, Tiger Okoshi, Greg Hopkins and the Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra, Justin DiCioccio, Jeff Galindo and The Kenny Haddley Big Band. This is Wellesley's fourth return as a finalist to the Essentially Ellington Competition & Festival: they were previously selected in 2005, 2006 and 2009.

One O'Clock Jazz Band received Gold Medal at MAJE Districts, and Silver Medal at MAJE State Finals last year and performed at the Hatch Shell in 2010.

The Rice Street Singers are a select choral ensemble at Wellesley High School, directed by Dr. Kevin J. McDonald and Mr. Chad Weirick. The ensemble concentrates on the performance of vocal jazz and contemprary genres including arrangements performed by the New York Voices, The Real Group, Manhattan Transfer, and others. In recent years, this ensemble has been recognized for musical excellence through gold medal performances at the Massachusetts Association for Vocal Jazz Festival. The Rice Street Singers perform at school concerts, athletic events, and school functions. The ensemble performs frequently throughout the community and have been highlighted in special performances at Faneuil Hall, the Lexington Musem, and the Hatch Shell.

CONGRATULATIONS to the WHS Two O'Clock Jazz Band who performed in the Essentially Ellington Finals on Friday, May 13 in Lincoln Center! They were one of just fifteen bands nationally to earn this incredible opportunity. Wynton Marsalis presented the band with five Outstanding Performance Awards including: Paul Buser (Outstanding Piano), Matt DiBiase (Outstanding Vibraphone), Harvey Xia (Honorable Mention Alto Sax), Clark Davis (Outstanding Trumpet), and our trombones earned Outstanding Trombone Section.

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