After months of preparation, Parkway North’s Orchestra shined on stage at the Fall Orchestra Concert on Nov. 3. 

“We practiced a lot,” said sophomore Jessie Pai, violinist. “In my class, since we are the highest level, it wasn’t super hard, but we practiced most of the class and outside of class time.”

Kicking off the concert, Parkway North Orchestra director and conductor Ken Rapini welcomed students, parents and affiliates of North to Concert I, which consisted of the freshman orchestra. They played “Dance Rythmico” and  “Masters In This Hall” among other pieces.

“It was so good. More people should’ve come to see such an amazing performance,” said sophomore Kayla Dear. “I hadn’t been to an orchestra concert since elementary school, so it was interesting seeing high skilled players.”

Bouncing off the momentum of Concert I, chairs switched and instruments shuffled to introduce Concert II. Concert II performed “Drifen”, which is a more complex piece. 

Sophomore Athena Dekinder, violinist, expressed the difficulty behind preparation this year. “It was definitely stressful leading up to [the concert] because there were so few first violins, that even if I or my stand partner made a mistake, it would be heard,” said Dekinder.

Even though the pieces were tough, Rapini helped students to make the music sound easy.

“The music is tougher this year compared to last, but Mr. Rapini is also a really good teacher, so it’s good to have his expertise,” said Dekinder.

Symphonic Orchestra performed last, surprising the audience by incorporating piano into the first piece, “Concerto Grosso #1 – Mvt 1.”

Former orchestra member, sophomore Hillary Woodard, felt her spark for music reignite after their performance. “Each concert got so much better [from last year]. You can tell how much they grew. The piano stuck out to me during symphonic’s performance…overall it was amazing,” said Woodard.

Symphonic Orchestra closed the evening with “Night On Bald Mountain,” a dynamic piece that ended just as strong as it began. 

“The concert was so calming. I love hearing all types of music,” said sophomore Mellisa Park, audience member.

Students will continue working to improve their performances to showcase to others. The Winter Orchestra Concert will be held on Feb. 11 in the upper gym. 

“I will definitely be at the Winter Concert, and I’ll bring friends along to experience something new,” said Dear. “More people should give attention to the orchestra at North because they work so hard to put on a great show.”