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 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.

 

String Orchestra musicians enter the MVHS Instrumental Music Program as either an intermediate or advance string player.  However, Intermediate and advanced students merge together in the Spring and participate as one ensemble in the music festivals along with other SVUSD high schools.

 

Each Spring, they participate 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 group and form our Symphonic Strings Ensemble.  This combined class practices during tutorials and after school, schedule permitting and have 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, light music, popular tunes and marches.

 

Students may be encouraged to form and participate in Chamber Ensembles.  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 at specially organized chamber music concerts once or twice a year.  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, the Spirit of the Macy awards for best Orchestra, Cappies Best Orchestra and the Best Student Orchestra. and JRAY, The John Raitt Awards for Youth, 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, including Jazz Band and Winter Drumline.