Thirteen Huntington School District musicians have been selected to perform in this winter’s Long Island String Festival during elite concerts in Northport and West Islip.
Among the festival musicians are Woodhull Intermediate School fifth grader Olivia Lee (violin II) and sixth graders Grayson Dunn (violin I) and Luis Orrego (viola); Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School fifth grader Eva Richter (violin II) and sixth graders William Kim (cello) and Vincent Pupillo (cello); J. Taylor Finley Middle School seventh grader Charlotte Gordon (violin II); Huntington High School sophomores Alexis Kaloudis (violin I) and Allison Quinn (violin I); juniors Jackson Dunn (cello), Ella Siepel (viola) and Grace Wildermuth (double bass) and senior Kyle Perea (double bass).
The Huntington musicians are among Long Island’s best. They were chosen for the festival based on their New York State School Music Association solo evaluation scores and teacher recommendations.
The musicians have been studying with Huntington music teachers Christina Bhasin, Matthew Gelfer, James DiMeglio and Nicole Castaldo.
“Music in Huntington continues to impress at all levels,” Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “So proud of our orchestra students and staff for their musicianship and commitment to developing their artistic talents. I wish this group a great experience on the LISFA stage.”
The Long Island String Festival Association began in 1956, gathering students from across Long Island into three orchestras. Today, LISFA hosts festivals in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. The organization also awards many scholarships to support students’ musical study through their school years and beyond.
“The success of LISFA lies in the strength of the string teachers on Long Island, their talented students, the parents who support their musical development and the quality of the conductors who together celebrate the power of music,” according to the organization’s website.
The sixth grade orchestra will perform on Saturday, January 25 at 2 p.m. at Northport High School. The fifth, seventh and eighth grade orchestras will take the stage on Sunday, January 26 at 1 pm. at Northport High School. The high school orchestra concert is set for Sunday, January 12 at 1 p.m. at St. John the Baptist High School in West Islip.
