Huntington Musicians Perform at
Tilles Center
A large group of talented musicians from the Huntington School District joined their counterparts from across Long Island and took the stage at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts last weekend.
The ten-member strong Huntington contingent performed in concert with the Nassau-Suffolk Performing Arts youth band, honor band, jazz ensemble, concert band and wind symphony.
“Huntington’s young musicians participated in a major event this past weekend, bringing together some of the finest student performers from both Nassau and Suffolk counties,” said Sarah Loveland Gill, Huntington’s director of fine and performing arts. “We had representation in every single instrumental group, which is a testament to the students and all of their hard work that takes place behind the scenes. The students’ dedication to music, countless hours of practice and rehearsals and the support of their teachers and parents, is both an inspiration and one of the examples of our district’s tradition of excellence.”
“Nassau-Suffolk Performing Arts is a non-profit organization founded in order to provide talented student musicians from across Long Lsland and the metropolitan area with additional rehearsal and performance opportunities in the jazz and concert band genres,” according to the organization’s website.
Nassau-Suffolk Performing Arts is comprised of students who represent over 50 Long Island school districts. “We are committed to offering our members a high quality educational and performance-based program that will provide enriching experiences and memories that will foster a lifetime love of music,” states the organization’s mission statement.
“Participants were required to complete a rigorous audition process. Despite the competitiveness of the ensembles, Huntington had representation in every instrumental group,” said Chelsea Jablon, a Huntington music teacher.
The Huntington contingent included:
Youth band (grades 5-6): Olivia Conte on clarinet and Henry Stein on trombone.
Honor band (grades 7-8): Gemma Pellegrini on flute, Faith Youngquist on flute and Lauren Gooding on percussion.
Jazz ensemble (grades 7-12): Dylan DelGiudice on guitar.
Concert band (grades 9-12): Sophia Latt on flute.
Wind symphony (grades 9-12): William Fallon on percussion, Hallie Raskin on horn and Jacob Labarge on flute.
“It’s always great playing in the Nassau-Suffolk jazz program,” said Mr. DelGiudice, a Huntington senior. “I’ve learned a lot from the teachers there, who always pick great music that challenges me. My favorite thing about the group is playing with musicians who are at such a high level, many of whom I have made friends with over the years. Playing at the Tilles Center is always a great experience.”