Our Concert Ensembles program consists of String Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and a combination of the two, called Symphonic Orchestra. Students enroll in either Orchestra or Wind Ensemble as a year-long class. These ensembles perform about 4 concerts a year in our MVHS Performing Arts Theater as well as at various festivals in the Spring. Festival Season offers the opportunity to showcase a high standard of performance and receive adjudication by trained and qualified experts in music education, encouraging the development of each soloist, ensemble and performing organization.

 

Each spring, the String Orchestra and Wind Ensemble participates in the Saddleback Valley Music Festival where they have consistently received superior ratings. It is also during this time of year that woodwind and horn players from our Wind Ensemble join the strings and form our Symphonic Orchestra (often called "Orcestra Winds." This combined class practices during tutorials and after school to prepare for the spring concerts, schedule permitting and have even gone on to perform at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall as part of Orange County's Philharmonic's Annual High School Orchestra Festival! In March of 2017, our full Symphonic Orchestra performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City!

 

The Wind Ensemble classes consist of students whose primary instruments are in the brass, woodwind, or percussion instrument families. Wind Ensemble performs traditional band repertoire such as original wind compositions, popular tunes like movie music, and marches.

 

Students are also encouraged to form and participate in chamber/small ensembles with their friends and peers! This gives students the unique opportunity to work in a smaller group setting, choose and arrange the pieces that they perform, decide how the final performance will come together, and perform in addition to the main ensembles at the concerts. If the Drama program is putting on a musical, the instrumental music students may audition for the Pit Orchestra to accompany the musical.  Our Pit Orchestra has been recognized as the Best Pit Orchestra for the Trifecta in previous years, as well as for the Spirit of the Macy awards for best Orchestra, the Cappies Best Orchestra award, and the John Raitt Awards for Youth (JRAY), 22 times in the last 25 years!

 

Many of our Concert Ensembles students, including String Orchestra students, also enjoy participating in Marching Band, Winter Drumline, and/or Jazz Band. Concert Ensembles students can participate in these other groups with their primary instrument (if applicable) or secondary instrument they are already familiar with, or by being open to learning a new instrument! Some ensembles are by audition only, often including Jazz Band and Winter Drumline.