On December 17, 2024, Brooklyn Tech’s Visual & Performing Arts Department held their annual orchestra performance – the second performance of the winter concert series. This year’s performance consisted of an assortment of pop, classical, and holiday. A high- light of the evening was the riveting debut performance of the chamber orchestra, Camerata, and the captivating harp duo.
One of the notable highlights of the program was the newly formed harp duo. Harpists Guinevere Wolski (‘27) and Abigail Weiss (‘28) softly plucked out the Christmas classic “Carol of the Bells,” a calming intermission from the bold tunes.
Previously performing alongside the orchestra, the harpists shared the spotlight in the orchestra pit. Weiss admitted, “I really liked that we were our own separate [performance] from the rest of the orchestra because I felt like it was kind of hard to fit in with the strings. It was nice that we got our own little moment.” Their performance was a dazzling debut, and Weiss and Wolski hinted that it certainly won’t be their last. Looking forward to the spring concert, Wolski alluded to the potential duet: “Oh yeah, get ready. We have some stuff prepared.”
Following a brief intermission, AP of Visual & Performing Arts Mr. Gustave Trombetta introduced the Brass Ensemble, one of Tech’s newer instrumental groups. Although not aligned with the string orchestra, orchestra teacher Mr. Alexander Tasopoulos explained their inclusion: “We like having the brass ensemble there as something totally different and interesting compared to a whole night, hours and hours, of violins.”
The Brass Ensemble didn’t hesitate to bring on the holiday spirit. Performing a repertoire including hits like “Christmas Time is Here” from A Charlie Brown Christmas, James Pierpont’s Christmas classic “Jingle Bells,” and classic tunes from fan-favorite movie Home Alone, the ensemble filled the auditorium with warm, festive melodies, capturing the essence of the upcoming holiday season.
Next up was the highly anticipated chamber orchestra, Camerata. As Tech’s newest and first chamber ensemble, their debut at the winter concert was nothing short of a triumph. Camerata started off their performance with Gruber’s “Silent Night,” a peaceful and calm entrance to the spotlight.
However, it was soloist and principal cellist, PharmD major Hannah Cheng (‘26), that stole the spotlight with Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Concerto for Cello No. 1 in A minor, I. Allegro.” Shifting to center stage, the orchestra seamlessly accompanied Cheng as she performed the dynamic and bold solo.
The excitement of the solo also came with long hours of preparation. Cheng shared, “[Preparing] was extremely stressful because there’s a lot of pressure; we’re gonna be in front of a whole audience.” Cheng also highlighted the challenge of limited practice time, “[Class is] only 40 minutes a day, plus maybe like a few 20 minutes for after-school rehearsals.”
However, her responsibilities weren’t limited to only the solo. As principal cellist, she reflected on her duties as a leader of the cello section: “I really enjoy being able to be a part of the leading experience in orchestra and connect with all of my fellow musicians.” She added, “[Being principal cellist means] moving a lot and keeping [the orchestra] together, communicating with other musicians within the inner circle- just making sure that the orchestra’s coming together nicely.” Cheng’s dedication and hard work was evi-
dent in her remarkable performance, a demonstration of her unwavering commitment to the cello. However, this wasn’t the end of Camerata’s successful night. The chamber orchestra’s performance of Heitor Villa-Lobos’ “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, Aria” was an accompaniment to featured soloist Zarya Hussein (‘25). Hussein delivered a captivating rendition of the Portuguese opera, a unique and emotional highlight of the evening.
Camerata finished off their debut with P.I. Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings, IV. Finale,” an emotional song with colorful harmonies.
With the Philharmonic orchestra up next, they performed Gustav Holst’s playful movement of his St. Paul’s Suite, “St. Paul’s Suite, I. Jig.” Surprising the audience with another soloist, Philharmonic violist Audrianna Mei stunned the crowd with her concerto of Henri Casadesus’ “Concerto for Viola in the Style of Handel.” Standing front and center, Mei delivered a poised and masterful performance.
Last, but certainly not least, was the Symphonic Orchestra, a student-led orchestra club. Their performance consisted of popular songs chosen by club members. Symphonic stunned the Laufey fans in the crowd with her beloved song “Lovesick.” The performance featured seven chorus students who accompanied the Symphonic players.
Ending the three-hour performance with a bang, Symphonic wrapped up the night of performances with “Flickering Candlelight (Eula Theme),” the character theme song from popular video game Genshin Impact.
Although the journey from preparation to performance was no easy path, Tasopoulos reflected on the musicians’ performances, sharing, “I wish that musicians weren’t such tough critics of themselves.” He added, “I wish that they could see and hear themselves from the audience’s perspective because sometimes when you’re too close to the orchestra you can’t see the whole stage.”
