Two musicians from North High School have been selected for the New York State Summer School for the Arts (NYSSSA) School of Orchestral Studies. North High violinist Tiantian (Emily) Wei and cellist Nei-Chuan (Neil) Chou are among 90 high school musicians from the entire State who have been invited to attend this prestigious four-week summer program in Saratoga.
Emily and Neil are both members of the North High Symphony Orchestra and the North High Chamber Music Society. Joseph Rutkowski is the instrumental music teacher at North High.
The School of Orchestral Studies is an immersive program that advances musicianship through small-group coaching sessions, live performances, and elective courses in the history, literature, and theory of music. High school musicians are selected for the School of Orchestral Studies through a rigorous audition process.
Participants comprise a symphony orchestra and smaller ensembles that work alongside the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center from mid-July through mid-August. Student ensembles give concerts at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (STAC) and Skidmore College’s Ladd Concert Hall, and serve as an opening act for the Philadelphia Orchestra at STAC.
The School of Orchestral Studies is co-sponsored by the New York State School Music Association, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, and the New York State Education Department.
