On Thursday, March 13, Wheaton Warrenville South’s music program held its annual Concerto Honors concert in the school’s auditorium — an event whose highlights included performances from four senior soloists who had won the 2025 Concerto Competition.
The well-attended event showcased the talent and hard work of many musicians. The four soloists in particular — Mackenzie Armstrong, Amelia Votava, Risandi Magalage, and Samantha Valente — went through a rigorous process to be selected.
How are soloists chosen? Orchestra director Allison Chang explained that the concerto competition takes place in January, and it is a time “where juniors and seniors perform [a completed movement with orchestral accompaniment] in front of a panel of judges”. This year, we had four winners.
The evening opened up with a performance by the Concert Orchestra, which played Symphony No. 44 “Trauer” originally written by Franz Joseph Haydn and arranged by Todd Parrish. An exciting, energetic piece, this song was a fantastic way to kick off the night.
Concert Orchestra was then joined by Concert Band to perform A Salute to Handel, which consisted of a March, a Menuet, and a Bourrée.
The two ensembles ended their set with a fan-favorite: Final Countdown. The piece was inspired by the Swedish band Europe’s song released in the 1980s. The audience expressed great excitement upon hearing the piece.
Chamber 1, Chamber 2, and Concert Band then took the stage to perform the second movement of Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 in G Major, H. 1/94, also known as the “Surprise Symphony”. It owes its name to the sudden, loud chords that surprise the audience and interrupt the piece’s gentle and delicate melody.
There were two final ensemble performances before the soloists took the stage. Chamber 1, Chamber 2, and Symphonic Band performed Duke Ellington! A Medley for Orchestra, a piece arranged by Calvin Custer that contains four of composer Duke Ellington’s best pieces: Don’t Get Around Much Anymore; Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me; Sophisticated Lady; It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).
Then, Wheaton Warrenville South senior Pat Griffin conducted Gravitas, a piece composed by Soon Hee Newbold, and it was performed by Chamber 1, Chamber 2, and Symphonic Band.
Armstrong, a senior bassist, performed the first movement of the Double Bass Concerto in D Major by Antonio Capuzzi. It was a captivating and incredible experience to witness a bass concerto, especially one whose uplifting mood was indicative of the Baroque period. The piece showcased contrasting dynamics, trills, grace notes, turns, and a basso continuo that was played by the cellos.
Following that, Votava, a senior cellist, performed the first movement of the Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 by Edward Elgar. The piece was powerful, and it exhibited a lyrical, calm beauty. The work had a reflective, expressive feel to it, and the passionate Adagio was at the piece’s center.
Magalage, a senior pianist, then took the stage, performing the second movement of the graceful Keyboard Concerto No. 7 in G minor, BWV 1058 by J.S. Bach. The piece was based on the style of the Italian baroque concerto, which consists of three movements: fast-slow-fast. This second movement was the “slow” movement, and it developed into a beautiful, serene theme.
To conclude the night, Valente, a senior vocalist, ended the concert with a beautiful performance of Voilà, a song with French lyrics. The piece was originally sung by Barbara Pravi in a Eurovision Song Contest, and was written by Igit and Lily Poe. The song began quietly, but with each chorus, confidence and passion grew, and finally, at the piece’s climax, there was a dramatic key change. The piece concluded with a beautifully sustained note.
Reflecting on the evening, Chang explained how “one of the best parts about us having a concerto concert is that we get to see a very diverse group of instruments” and she hopes that “even more people try out next year!”
The orchestra’s Finale Concert will take place on Tuesday, May 20.
