Orchestra

Concert Orchestra

Concert Orchestra is designed to further the students’ musical development through rehearsal and performance of outstanding string orchestra literature. Throughout the year we also work on scales, counting, musical vocabulary and music theory. In addition, all students will be involved with a chamber ensemble, will work in sectionals, will work with professional musicians and may perform as a combined group with the Symphony Orchestra.

Concert Orchestra is open to all interested freshmen string players. There is a wide range of abilities from very experienced players to students who have only been playing for one or two years. The orchestra performs approximately 4-5 times each school year with other performance opportunities also available.

Concert Orchestra is a great way to interact on a daily basis with other students who share the same enjoyment of music. This often helps smooth the transition from junior high to high school.

Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Orchestra provides advancing string players with the opportunity to learn how to perform as a full orchestra and as a string orchestra. We rehearse and perform music from all periods of music history, Bach to newly commissioned pieces. Technical and interpretive considerations of performance are stressed. The orchestra performs approximately 4-5 concerts throughout the year. In addition, all students participate in small chamber ensembles and are encouraged to perform solos during our annual Solo and Ensemble segment of the school year.

Symphony Orchestra is one of the top orchestras in the State of Illinois. The orchestra has performed throughout the midwest and has traveled on numerous overseas tours including trips to China, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Budapest, Rio de Janiero, Greece, Peru, Cuba, France, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Vietnam. They have performed at the Illinois Music Educators Conference in January 2004, the MENC Mid-West Regional Conference in Minneapolis, and have performed at the prestigious Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic three times, in 1991, 1996 and 2004.

Chamber Orchestra

Chamber Orchestra provides advanced string players with the opportunity to learn how to perform as a full orchestra and as a string orchestra. This group is comprised of the top string players from the orchestra program. This group focuses on advanced literature for smaller string orchestra music and pieces for strings and small wind sections.

Chamber Orchestra members continue to perform as members of the Symphony Orchestra for concerts although they do not meet during the same class period. They learn more music and perform more often than Symphony or Concert Orchestras, including concerts with the Libertyville High School Choirs, concerts within the Libertyville community, and concerts throughout the Midwest.

Chamber Orchestra performed at the inaugural session of the Music for All – Orchestra America Festival in March of 2006, and have performed at the Illinois Music Educators Conference in January 2013. They have performed with special guest marimba soloist, Michael Burritt and have worked in clinics with Dr. Larry Livingston from the University of Southern California, Donald Schleicher from the University of Illinois, Stefan Kartman from the University of Wisconsin -Milwaukee, Victor Yampolsky from Northwestern University, and Kevin Noe from Michigan State.

All concerts take place in the LHS Aduitorium except where noted.

Fright Night Concert

Mid-October
Concert will be held in the LHS Gymnasium
This is always the spookiest concert of the year. We will perform classic works fit for the season.

Orchestra Festival with Highland

Early-December
This is our annual concert featuring the talents of all string players from 6th grade through 12th grade as we combine with Highland Middle School.

Winter Concert

Early-March
This concert will feature all three orchestra showcasing standards from the orchestral literature.

Spring Band/Orchestra Concerts

Late Spring
One concert will feature Concert Orchestra, String Project, Concert Band and Symphonic Band
Second concert will feature Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Symphonic Winds and Wind Ensemble.

If you have any further questions regarding taking private lessons at LHS, or need help finding a lesson teacher outside of school. Please feel free to contact Mr. Marino.  (847-327-7082 or jeremy.marino@d128.org)  I want to help you get lessons!!

Lessons at LHS are $27 for the 23 minute half period and $32 for 30 minutes after school.

The following people offer lessons during the school day and after school at LHS:

Violin

Anna Carlson

Anna Carlson is an active performer and teacher in the Chicago area.  She is currently a member of the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and Dubuque Symphony Orchestra.  She has also performed with many other groups including ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra,  Madison Symphony Orchestra, Flint Symphony Orchestra, Lansing Symphony Orchestra, and many more.  Anna is also a recent alumnus of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, in which she was Assistant Principal Second Violin.  Anna holds two Bachelor’s degrees (in Violin Performance and Business) from Illinois Wesleyan University, and a Master’s in Performance from the University of Michigan.  Her primary teachers include Stephen Shipps, William Starr, Vadim Mazo, and Amy Gesmer-Packman.

Viola

Cordelia Brand

Cordelia Brand is a professional freelance violist in the Chicago area. An avid orchestra musician, she regularly performs with the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, Rockford Symphony Orchestra, and orchestras across Illinois and Wisconsin. As a chamber musician, Cordelia performs with fellow Alumni from Midwest Young Artists Conservatory in educational outreach concerts and soirées. She recently was a member of piano quintets and quartets with Lincoln Center Stage sailing on cruise ships around the world. 

Cordelia earned both her Bachelor and Master of Music Performance degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music studying with Jeffrey Irvine and Lynne Ramsey. During her time in Cleveland, Cordelia was a member of the Youngstown Symphony, a fellow in the National Repertory Orchestra, and regularly performed with the Cleveland Opera Theater and New World Symphony. 

Cordelia currently works with students in the northern Chicago suburbs including District 128, 214, and Midwest Young Artists Conservatory.

Cello

Richard Yeo

Richard Yeo was born into a musical family. He began playing the piano at the age of six, and took up the cello at age nine. He attended Indiana University where he earned his Bachelor of Music degree while studying with Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and Fritz Magg. He later received his Master of Music degree from Northwestern University studying with Hans Jorgen Jensen.

Mr. Yeo was Assistant Principal Cellist with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for ten seasons, and during that time he made his solo orchestral debut playing the Second Cello Concerto of Victor Herbert. Since 1993 he has been a member of the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County, Wisconsin, and he currently maintains an active schedule as a free-lance cellist in the Chicago area. Some of the orchestras he performs with include the Grant Park Symphony, the Chicago Philharmonic, and the Lake Forest Symphony. 

Bass

Scott Bakshis 

Scott Bakshis has been active in the Chicago-land orchestra scene since his days at Libertyville High School, when he served as Principal Bassist for the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. A three-time all-state musician, Scott went on to study bass performance under Max Dimoff and Jeff Bradetich at the Cleveland Institute of Music. After returning home, he joined the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and made connections with several other regional orchestras and opera companies. 

Beyond his work in the classical arena, Scott has played professionally with a broad range of local musicians with styles ranging from chamber pop and folk to rock and jazz. He teaches privately at Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Lane Tech, and Dundee Crown high schools, as well as conducting sectionals and coachings with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and Sistema Ravinia. He is currently back in school at North Park University working on a degree in Arts Administration and a Certificate in Music for Social Change and Human Values. His passion and his goal is to use his knowledge and experience to bring great music to underserved populations

The Orchestra program has a Practice Partner Program in which elementary and middle school string students can work with advanced high school string students. Playing music is more fun when doing it with others. This is a great way to motivate your child and get them excited to learn about and play their instrument.

Here are the main components of the program:

• LHS Practice Partners are members of the LHS Orchestra program. These students are currently taking private lessons with professional teacher/musicians. They have gone through a training program and will continue to be under the guidance and review of LHS orchestra teacher, Mr. Marino.
• During sessions, Practice Partners will focus on music, and will model and reinforce the technique and posture being learned in the elementary/middle school orchestra class. 
• Sessions will be held at LHS, will be 25 minutes, and will cost $15, paid directly to the student.
• We currently have Practice Partners available for the following instruments: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass.

Contact Mr. Marino to be connected with a Practice Partner or to ask questions about the program.
email: jeremy.marino@d128.org
phone: 847-327-7082