All posts by ryantross

Senior/Alumni Performance (May 25)

MUSIC DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

Are you a Plano West Orchestra alumni?  Then join us on our last concert of the year for a new orchestra tradition.  We are going to end the May 25 concert with a special senior performance (Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera).  Mid-performance, orchestra alumni will join the seniors on stage to finish out the piece.  Help transition the seniors to “alumni-hood” if you’re available!

This tradition will continue every year, so keep an eye out in the future as well.

There will be an optional rehearsal on May 24 from 6:00 to 6:30pm. Come to the PWSH Orchestra Room.  Within the next week, we’re also going to try to post some practice videos to help out.

The concert will be on May 25 at 7:00pm.  The senior performance will be the last piece on the program, so it will happen at some point after 8:30pm.  You will need to be backstage as Chamber Orchestra is performing their final piece.  Attire is casual…. if you have an old orchestra t-shirt, wear that!

If you want to participate, print out the music posted at planowestorchestra.com.  (All piano and percussion parts will be covered by PWSH students.  Do not print these parts)  You will need to provide your own instruments.  If you’re a cello or bass player, we MIGHT have a limited number of instruments to lend.  Please email PWSH Orchestra Director Ryan Ross at ryan.ross@pisd.edu to inquire on a possible instrument-borrow.

As marked in the music, the piece will begin with only seniors playing on stage.  When they reach measure 14, alumni will begin to take their place on stage while seniors continue to play.  At measure 31, we will repeat back to 14, and on the repeat alumni will join.  From there, the entire group will play to the end.

Our email database only goes back to 2011 or so.  Please help spread the word to our alumni going all the way back to 2001!

Please RSVP to Ryan Ross if you plan to join.   ryan.ross@pisd.edu

MUSIC DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

All-State

Congrats to this year’s All State musicians from the West orchestra!

Raymond Chen – symphony violin

Edward Sa – Philharmonic violin

Alan Bouda – philharmonic violin

David Danjul – philharmonic violin

Cedric Hu – string violin

Serena Cheng – philharmonic viola

Theo Lee-Gannon – symphony cello

Gahwon Lee – symphony cello

Bill Tian – symphony cello

Druv Patel – philharmonic cello

Alice Zhao – philharmonic bass

Mikey McNamara – philharmonic bass

 

 

2016 TMEA Honor Orchestra

TMEA_Logo_BlueThe Plano West Chamber Orchestra is pleased to be named the state champion 2016 TMEA Honor String Orchestra!  This win marks a record-tying 6th selection as a Texas honor orchestra.  The Chamber Orchestra will now have the opportunity to perform at the TMEA Convention in San Antonio in February 2016.

We are also extremely proud of our two feeder high schools, Jasper HS (under the direction of Matt Moreno) and Shepton HS (under Joshua Thompson).  Both schools made finals, marking the first time in the 65 year history of the competition that three orchestras from a single feeder system were named as finalists.

 

2015 All-Region Results

Congrats to the Plano West Orchestra students who successfully auditioned for All-Region today! Plano West earned more spots than any other school in the region! Students with a * next to their name have qualified to tape for All-State in 2 weeks. Students with a # are very close to taping — if other players elect not to tape, you may have the opportunity…. we’ll know more on Monday.

Symphony

Violin 1 – Alan Bouda *

Violin 3 – Samantha Choo *

Violin 4 – Raymond Chen *

Violin 5 – David Danjul *

Violin 6 – Cedric Hu *

Violin 9 – Edward Sa *

Violin 10 – Yujin Kim *

Violin 25 – Sharon Son #

Violin 30 – Matthew Zhao

Violin 34 – Karen Yang

Violin 35 – Daniel Kong

Violin 38 – Andrew Gu

 

Viola 3 – Serena Cheng *

Viola 12 – Justine Shih *

Viola 13 – Christina Zhao*

Viola 16 – Henry Wang*

 

Cello 2 – Gahwon Lee*

Cello 3 – Bill Tian*

Cello 7 – Theo Lee-Gannon*

Cello 11 – Andrew Choi*

Cello 12 – Druv Patel*

Cello 13 – Marcus Deng*

Cello 14 – Eric Lee*

 

Bass 2- Alice Zhao*

Bass 6 – Mikey McNamara*

 

Philharmonic

Violin 3 – Choong Gao Lee

Violin 6 – Boris Tsang

Violin 11 – Tiffany Kang

Violin 15 – Paul Ko

Violin 25 – Kimberly Kwang

Violin 26 – Alexis Ha

 

Viola 12 – Madison Rex

 

Cello 3 – Si Qi Tong

Cello10 – Stephen Min

Cello 12 – Nathan Chin

Alternate 4 – Heather Tsong

 

Bass 1 – Jack Tackett*

Bass 8 – Kate Dedrick

National Winners: Mark of Excellence – National Orchestra Honors

large-orchestraWe are very pleased to announce that Plano West Orchestras have won two National Winner designations in the Mark of Excellence National Orchestra Honors competition!

The Chamber Orchestra was named a National Winner in the high school string orchestra category.  Only four schools in the nation earned that top designation.  One of the other three was our very own Jasper High School!

The Symphony Orchestra was named one of only two National Winners in the full orchestra category.

We are also very proud that the Robinson Middle School Chamber Orchestra was named a Commended Winner in the middle school string orchestra category.

Junior Officer Results

Congratulations to this year’s Junior Orchestra Officer group!  The selection process was beyond difficult, and we hope that all applicants will reapply as Seniors.

In no particular order:

Roger D.

Ramya P.

Shivani K.

Mason S.

Pierre-Louis D.

Emily S.

Ana A.

Essence R.

Eddie W.

Zoe M.

Dominique M.

Paolo A.

Alice Z.

Michael E.

Ean H.

Geena W.

Jacqueline C.

Katherine M.

Serena C.

Sharon S.

Raymond C.

Alexis R.

Samantha C.

Tiffany K.

Krystal L.