Gallery • 3 Photos

Ethan Paules and Alex Rebich pose for a picture with their Yeater scholarship. Photo credit of Karen Paules.

The orchestra took the stage for its spring concert on Wednesday, May 13. The concert included pieces played by the string orchestra, full orchestra and featured concert mistress, junior Kristen Zak, who played a solo concerto with her private instructor, Colette Wickert.

The string orchestra played several pieces including “Adagio For Strings” and “St. Paule’s Jig” while the full orchestra played in selections such as “Egyptian Legacy” and the featured piece of the night, Mussorgsky’s “Pictures At An Exhibition.”

During the concert, the Yeater scholarship was presented to Ethan Paules and Alex Rebich by orchestra director Zachary Levi. The scholarship is named after the previous orchestra teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels, Kathy Yeater. Similar to the Steager award, the Yeater scholarship is awarded to one senior each year who has been heavily involved in the music program and intends to continue having musical involvement in his or her future plans.

The spring concert also took time to recognize seniors and wish them luck in their future endeavors. Seniors received certificates, pins and letters as their future plans were read off and had their parents stand with them on the stage. The seniors of the orchestra then surprised Levi with a $50 gift certificate along with items for his newborn and some other goodies during the concert to show their gratitude to him over the years; this also included a photo montage of the senior students.

Senior Ethan Paules was elated to receive the Yeater scholarship and plans to continue his musical involvement after high school.

“I was entirely, but pleasantly, surprised to receive the Kathy Yeater scholarship! I’ve been in orchestra for three years, having joined as a cellist in my sophomore year,” said Paules. I definitely want to continue my music endeavors beyond high school, both in vocal and instrumental performance.”

Paules would like to participate in extracurricular music programs in college and would love to be able to get involved in student directing.

Zak was honored to be able to play her piece at the spring concert and felt great to be able to represent the orchestra.

“It was definitely nerve-racking standing in front of all my peers and their families and playing this huge concerto, but once I got past the first measure, I felt free. I had the feeling that I could play with every feeling inside of me, and that is a great feeling to have, especially as a soloist,” said Zak.

Zak had been preparing the piece for about a year before she performed it at the concert and has been heavily involved in the orchestra through Tri-M, pit orchestra, youth orchestra, district orchestra and much more while preparing her solo piece and the rest of the orchestra music for the concert.

The orchestra has one more concert at the end of the year on May 27 with the elementary and middle schools where it will perform some of the selections from the spring concert.