Monona Grove High School’s Chamber Orchestra, a non-auditioned curricular ensemble of 45 juniors and seniors, has been chosen to perform at the Wisconsin State Music Conference on Oct. 30 at Monona Terrace in Madison, hngnews.com reported.
Orchestra teacher Janet Heinemann, who has taught in the district for 22 years, submitted anonymous concert videos filmed by the school’s audio-visual club for consideration by a Wisconsin School Music Association panel. It marks the first time a curricular Monona Grove musical group has earned the honor, according to hngnews.com.
The district serves 550-600 string students across grades 6-12 in non-auditioned ensembles. Heinemann told hngnews.com the selected group spans widely in ability, from advanced players who study privately to emergent learners. Co-teacher Forrest Evans said they use large-group and small-group instruction, sometimes working with individual students on solo repertoire.
Heinemann spends summers selecting pieces that flatter the ensemble’s strengths. The conference program includes two Shostakovich works, a piece called Revolution written in 2020 that incorporates quotes from America the Beautiful, Go Down Moses and Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, and possibly works by Florence Price and Madison LaFollette orchestra teacher Levi Olson. Heinemann said she provided students music and listening links online over the summer, and students brought instruments on the first day of class to begin preparing 40 minutes of repertoire. The 8:30 a.m. performance is free and open to the public.
For more information, visit hngnews.com.