By Samantha Posa

On February 12, the orchestra at Granada Hills Charter (GHC) hosted their Valentine’s Day Concert in Highlander Hall. Accompanied by GHC’s Wind Ensemble from the Highlander Band, spectators enjoyed listening to both groups play various pieces, ranging from famous classical love songs to tracks from famous romantic media. 

They played songs from popular romantic movies such as “American in Paris” and “Romeo and Juliet.” Both sections worked toward perfecting their pieces in preparation for the event.

“I’ve been preparing for this concert by practicing my parts regularly, attending rehearsals, and focusing on difficult sections to improve my accuracy and timing,” junior Lee Ticzon said. 

Although the orchestra typically holds two concerts each school year, they have scheduled three concerts for the 2025 season. The Valentine’s Day concert is a new addition to this year’s concert lineup. 

Comprising two main divisions, GHC’s orchestra offers an array of talent. Concert Orchestra is a larger group, consisting of dozens of players of many different instruments. Chambers Orchestra has a much smaller number of students.

To bring this concert to life, the orchestra partnered with the Highlander Band’s Wind Ensemble. Although both groups center on performing music, there are distinct differences between the two. Orchestra is primarily composed of string instruments whereas the band members play wind and percussion instruments. 

As both groups practice separately due to the nature of their ensembles, the Valentine’s Concert allowed them to come together and showcase their skills. 

“One of the most special things about the instrumental music programs at Granada is how close all of the students are, even if they’re not in the same ensemble,” orchestra director Bailey Knowles said. “A lot of students play multiple instruments and are in multiple ensembles. That being said, the band and orchestra don’t have a lot of opportunities to collaborate, so it’s been a joy watching them get to know one another and meet new people within the department. Because band and orchestra are separate classes, we’ve had limited rehearsal time as a group, but the students have been diligently preparing their individual parts so our rehearsals together run smoothly.” 

Alongside the students, the music teachers have also put in immense effort to prepare for the show. Along with Knowles, music teacher Joseph Cooper worked tirelessly to teach all the new music. At times, both teachers held rehearsals with the others’ respective students to ensure everything was operating seamlessly between both ensembles. 

“Ms. Knowles and I trade off on certain days so she can have adequate rehearsal time with them on her pieces,” Cooper said. “This is nothing new as we did the same thing last year so she could be a guest conductor for the wind ensemble and I did the same for the symphonic band.” 

The addition of the Valentine’s Day Concert and its success has opened new doors for both band and orchestra. Hosting new concerts has facilitated a deeper sense of friendship and mutual understanding between GHC’s musicians, alongside providing new opportunities for other students to enjoy the gifts music has to offer through watching their concerts.

“I hope this concert showcases our band’s talent and dedication, encouraging more people to join and support us,” Ticzon said. “I also hope it strengthens the bond between the band and orchestra, leading to more joint performances in the future, while bringing more recognition to our music program.”