Highland Park High School Wind Symphony To Perform In Austria

From HPHS Bandstand:

At the invitation of the Mayors of Austria’s four major cities, Vienna, Salzburg, Graz and Innsbruck, the Highland Park High School Wind Symphony will perform in the 2020 American Celebration of Music in Austria in commemoration of Beethoven's 250th Birthday.

The American Celebration of Music is sponsored by governments, music associations, community organizations, and tourist boards from around the world. “Wind Symphony’s participation in this global event is an honor for our students and the community,” said HPHS Band Director Joshua Chodoroff. In 2015, Chodoroff was named a semi-finalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award, recognizing him as one of the top 25 music educators in the country.

During spring break 2020, Chodoroff will lead HPHS Wind Symphony in performances at the University Church in Salzburg; the Minoritenkirche in Vienna; and, the Church of St. Salvator in Prague. The HPHS group will tour Salzburg; the Mozarthaus (Mozart's birthplace); St. Michael’s Church (site of The Sound of Music wedding); memorials of Beethoven, Strauss, Brahms, Schubert and Mozart; and, the Charles Bridge, the Tyn Church, the Astronomical Clock, and the Jewish Quarter in Prague. Wind Symphony and Chodoroff will be guests at a private dinner hosted by Dr. Jutta Unkart-Seifert, former Secretary of Education for the Austrian Federal Ministry and current President of the European Cultural Initiative organization.

Led by Chodoroff, the HPHS Wind Symphony is the capstone ensemble of the HPHS band program and is composed of students in grades 9-12 selected by an audition process. The students focus on advanced performance skills, musical interpretation, and individual and ensemble technique. The Wind Symphony performs each year at multiple curricular band concerts, various local festivals, and several community events. In past years, the Wind Symphony has been invited to perform in China, Japan, Italy and Spain. In 2018 and 2019, HPHS Marching Band participated in Ravinia festival’s production of Mass by Leonard Bernstein. The most recent Mass production will be broadcast on national television in 2020.

HPHS Band truly appreciates the support it receives from the Highland Park and Highwood communities, the school and the district administration. Information on HPHS Band, its free local performances, and how to support HPHS Band is at https://www.hphsband.org/ and 224-765-2165.

This press release was produced by HPHS Bandstand. The views expressed here are the author's own.