Friday, May 28, 2010
By Allie Rosen
Staff Writer
After receiving invitations to perform at Carnegie Hall next May, the Mira Costa vocal ensemble, symphony orchestra and wind ensemble were recently notified that they will no longer have this opportunity due to renovations at the famous New York City venue.
Students say they were excited last month when the directors of these three groups told their students about the invitations. However, they soon learned that the stage is going to be renovated over the course of the next three years and will not be available for their performance.
“It is especially disappointing for us becasue it felt like the renovation was such a small, insignificant reason to deny us.” symphony orchestra member junior Jimmy Breen said.
The groups received their invitations after submitting recordings to a company that organizes high school performances at Carnegie Hall. Originally, the groups had planned to perform there during the Memorial Day weekend of 2011.
“We wanted to go at the end of next May because we were trying to save as much money as possible and go at a time that was most convenient for our students so that we could take a few days off of school,” wind ensemble director Joel Carlson said.
Some students were especially disappointed because the revvonations affect not just this year, but prohibits potential trips in years to come.
“When we found out that we weren’t going to perform at Carnegie Hall, we finally understood how the seniors had felt originally. Since the renovations will take place for the next three years, we will never get the chance to perform there. That really upset us,” said freshman Elissa Wells, a member of vocal ensemble and symphony orchestra.
Some students are less disappointed about the cancellation. Although many were excited to perform, they feel that the fact that these groups were invited to perform is still enough of an honor on its own.
“I was excited for such an unparalleled experience. However, I’m not very upset about the cancellation because all of Mira Costa’s ensembles proved themselves capable of playing or singing at Carnegie,” said junior D.J. Stanfill, a member of vocal ensemble, symphony orchestra and wind ensemble.
“Sure, it would have been amazing to perform there if circumstances would have allowed it, but I’m not about to throw a fit about stuff that is completely outside of my control,” Stanfill said.
The teachers are also upset that their students will not be able to perform. However, they understand that professionals have priority in performances at the hall when time is limited by renovations, and that the company that scheduled their performance reserves the right to cancel it at any time.
“I did not originally know about these renovations, so I was pretty upset when I heard. But we certainly have some very exciting prospects for replacement opportunities that we can pursue next year that I am really excited about,” Carlson said.
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