Harvard-Westlake Middle School Ensembles Win at Heritage Festival This Weekend

It was a winning weekend for Harvard-Westlake’s middle school music ensembles at the Heritage Festival in Anaheim last weekend.

All of HW’s participating groups—the Middle School Symphony, Middle School Jazz Band, Madrigals, Vocal Ensemble, and Wolverine Singers—earned the “Gold” award, receiving an average score of 90-100 from the three judges.

Additionally, the following awards were given to these deserving ensembles:

• The Vocal Ensemble was ranked first place in the junior high Women’s Choir category.
• The Madrigals were ranked first place in the junior high Concert Choir category.
• The Jazz Band won Most Outstanding Band in the junior high and high-school categories.
• The Middle School Symphony won Most Outstanding Orchestra in the junior high and high school categories.
• The Middle School Symphony won The Adjudicators Award for instrumental music.
• The Middle School Symphony and the Jazz Band each won the Instrumental Sweepstakes Award for having the highest combined instrumental music scores.
• All of Harvard-Westlake’s ensembles won the Festival Sweepstakes Award for having the highest combined score at the festival.
• Individual solo awards, called the Maestro Awards, were given to three of our students: Benjamin Beckman ‘19 (French horn), Alex Liang ‘18 (guitar), and Ori Zur ’18 (piano).

Congratulations to all of the ensembles and their conductors: Nina Burtchaell, Emily Reola, and Starr Wayne.

Photo above of the Jazz Band by Starr Wayne.