Anyone who knows anything about music has heard of Carnegie Hall. Beyonce, Peter Tchaikovsky, and Louis Armstrong are just a few of the world-famous musicians who have performed at the New York City concert venue since it opened in 1891.
Three Eagles — sophomore Savannah Alday, senior Maggie Bergmark, and junior Mary Carolyn Hulgan — added their names to that distinguished list in February.
Alday, Bergmark, and Hulgan performed as part of the Honors band and the Honors Choir, groups selected from the most talented high school performers across the country and the world. Alday and Bergmark, who sang in the choir, and Hulgan, who played trombone, were selected after enduring a rigorous audition process.
The girls spent five days in New York City, rehearsing with their ensembles, learning from respected conductors, and finally performing at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 9.
“I cried,” said band director Ms. Laura Voss, who accompanied the girls to New York. “It was very overwhelming.”
According to Voss, Carnegie was absolutely beautiful and carried the sound beautifully from the stage throughout the audience.
Voss said the opening of the choir’s performance was especially memorable. The performers opened with a melodious chord, singing to the audience to “rise,” and the sound filled the entire building.
“You could hear everyone take a breath because it was so amazing,” Voss said.
Voss also said she loved getting to sit with the parents of her performers and watching their reactions to seeing their children perform at such a prestigious concert hall.
Although rehearsals for the show were closed, Voss got to see one rehearsal each for both the choir and the band. They rehearsed in a small ballroom at the hotel, and Voss said the sound of so many musicians in such a small hall was deafening.
The conductors were very insightful, Voss added. They not only tried to get the performers ready, but they also taught good fundamentals.
“The girls learned how to be better musicians which is ultimately the most important thing,” Voss said.
