LOS ALAMITOS, CA – While the student body is heavily aware of the annual choir show, there are actually four other holiday art shows that occur every year. The winter art show by the visual arts department was covered by the Griffin Gazette in the articles “The 2022 LAHS Winter Art Show” and “Following the Winter Art Show.” The other art shows that happen every year are all music concerts; there is a jazz band concert, a band concert, and an orchestra concert. This article will cover the 2022 Los Alamitos High School orchestra winter concert titled, “A Holiday Celebration.”

The Chamber Orchestra

The concert had an extraordinary start with a four piece performance by the chamber orchestra. Although much smaller than the string orchestra, the chamber orchestra still put on a great display of skill. Their set consisted of “Fantasia for Strings” by Elliot A. Del Borgo, “Brandenburg Concerto” by J.S. Bach, “Persephone’s Revenge” by Jeffery S. Bishop, and “Jingle Rock,” a take on the popular “Jingle Bell Rock,” arranged by Bob Phillips.

The highlight of the chamber orchestra’s section was “Persephone’s Revenge.” Principal player Hana Huyhn introduced the piece with a riveting tale about the Greek goddess Persephone, Demeter’s daughter, being kidnapped by Hades into the underworld. The song was an intense piece that captured the audience’s attention and put everyone on the edge of their seats.

The bond of the chamber orchestra members was clear at the end of the performance when Duy Dang, the chamber orchestra concertmaster, high-fived Huyhn in celebration of a job well done.

“Nocturne in Eb Major, Op 9, No. 2”

After the chamber orchestra finished their set, Mr. Justin Padilla, the Los Al orchestra conductor and teacher, introduced Coco Zhao, who played a beautiful solo of “Nocturne in Eb Major, Op 9, No. 2” by renowned composer Frederic Chopin. All by herself onstage, Zhao’s performance grabbed the hearts of the audience and earned loud applause following its conclusion.

“I’m very thankful for Mr. Padilla for giving me the opportunity to perform one of my favorite pieces,” Zhao told the Griffin Gazette. “Overall, the concert went really well considering that it was my first concert ever.”

The String Orchestra

The string orchestra followed Zhao’s solo. Although Zhao’s performance was a tough act to follow, the string orchestra did not disappoint.

The string orchestra started with an incredible performance of “Hungarian Dance No. 5” by Johannes Brahms. Audience members thoroughly enjoyed it, and some named the piece their favorite of the entire concert.

The string orchestra concluded their set with a rendition of the popular Christmas song “All I want for Christmas is You,” a stark contrast to their previous song, “The First Noel.” The piece featured a solo from principal player Michael Yoon.

The Concert Orchestra

For the final piece, Mr. Padilla brought the chamber orchestra, the string orchestra, and Zhao on stage together. The finale of the concert was a holiday medley that featured a variety of seasonal songs that ranged from the brisk paced “Deck the Halls” to the calming “Silent Night.” Other pieces included in the medley were “The First Noel,” “Jingle Bells,” “Joy to the World,” and more. 

The concert orchestra’s performance was a great display of skill that both the audience and the players themselves enjoyed.

“It was nice to have the string orchestra and chamber orchestra perform together,” the concertmaster Alaina Ahn said.

Conclusion

Although the concert featured astounding performances, it’s important to recognize the hard work that went into each and every piece.

“We practiced every single day in class and have after school rehearsals twice a month,” Mr. Padilla said. “The students take private lessons and work hard on their own.”

Along with working hard, the students have fun with each other everyday.

The next orchestra concert will take place April 21, 2023 and will be the final orchestra concert of the year, so save the date!