North High student selected for Honor Orchestra of America

The Island Now
North High violist Megan Xu, chosen for the Honor Orchestra of America, and Mr. Joseph Rutkowski, director of instrumental music at North High. (Photo courtesy of the Great Neck Public Schools)
North High violist Megan Xu, chosen for the Honor Orchestra of America, and Mr. Joseph Rutkowski, director of instrumental music at North High. (Photo courtesy of the Great Neck Public Schools)

Megan Xu, a senior at North High School, has been selected to perform with the 2018 Honor Orchestra of America at a concert in Indiana for the second consecutive year.

Xu, who plays the viola, was chosen for the Honor Orchestra of America after submitting a recording and participating in the audition process. Her application was evaluated by music faculty members from some of the country’s leading universities.

Joseph Rutkowski is Xu’s instrumental music teacher at North High.

The 2018 Honor Orchestra performance will be conducted by Larry J. Livingston, Chair of the Conducting Department at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. Sey Ahn, a fellow at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, will serve as the assistant conductor for the performance.

The Honor Orchestra of America is sponsored by Music for All, a non-profit organization that has been providing educational and performance programs and events for school bands and orchestras since it was founded in 1975. Music for All also focuses on music and arts education advocacy, providing resources for teachers and communities “to strengthen the message that music education is a vital part of the core curriculum.”

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