Rockland Music Students Head to Prague (VIDEO)

Rockland is pumping out a lot of great kids.

Fresh off their unprecedented 3rd place ranking and SUPERIOR rating at the 2013 National String Teachers Orchestra Festival, the Nyack High School Chamber Orchestra will be joining the 2013 International Tour.

The students will be leaving March 19 for the Czech Republic and the 2013 Young Prague Festival Competition. Afterwards, they’ll head to Vienna for additional performances.

You can get your chance to enjoy the Chamber Orchestra in their Bon Voyage Concert Monday, March 18 at 3 p.m. at Nyack High School. The concert is free and open to the public.

“With the leadership of Mrs. Gero, I want to congratulate them. They’re now nationally known. Their video helped the district’s music program,” said Superintendent Jim Montesano. “We anticipate that they will be internationally known as they head off to Prague.”

Recently the music department was spotlighted nationally.

“We just won $11,000 in instruments and funding from National Educational Music Company for a video submission contest,” said Christine Gero, Music Department Chair/Orchestra Director. “16 programs entered and the winner was chosen by public vote.  Our video was seen close to 4,000 times. More info about the contest as well as our winning video can be viewed at  NEMC.COM and in this Nyack Patch article."

The prize is $10,000 in instruments plus a check for $1,000 for the school's programs which will be written and presented to the parent music boosters group, MusicWorks, added Gero.

The Nyack High School Chamber orchestra was invited by audition to compete in the 2013 American Strings Teachers Association National Orchestra Festival in Providence Rhode Island last month. They received the highest rating possible: Superior.

Sixty orchestras auditioned for the National Orchestra Festival and 15 were chosen. Of the 15 from around the country, only seven were in Nyack’s category of ‘superior.’ The group had received Superior ratings twice before when it competed in the Festival.

Nyack placed third in its category, along with school orchestras more than three times larger than Nyack High School and nationally ranked and national renown. 

Although Nyack placed third nationally, in comparison to other schools that placed, Nyack's music program is "even more impressive," said Gero. "Although first and second place were in the 'Public School Division,' these schools are much larger, students started studying music much younger (3-5 years old), are mainly music conservatory bound and their orchestra consisted of the top 5-10 percent of their High School orchestra players. Our students started in 4th grade in our public school programs and are our top 42 percent of our entire high school string program."

“Nyack Public Schools stood alongside giants at this competition and more than held its own,” said the district.

Students are now excitedly looking forward to their trip to compete in Prague, Czechoslovakia this month.  

The group will be leaving to tour and perform in Prague and Vienna, March 19-27, said Gero. While in Europe they will be competing at the 2013 Young Prague Festival Competition and will be performing a total of five times in both cities.

“This has been an incredible year for our music programs,” said Gero.“Whenever I talk to my colleagues from across the country about how this school district and this community treats the arts, they just shake their heads (in disbelief)."

Know someone that's going? Give him/her a shout out in the comments section below