On March 28, students arrived at West High at 5:30 a.m. sharp to embark on their journey to New York City. They boarded a charter bus to Chicago O’Hare Airport, where they caught their flight later that afternoon. Arriving at LaGuardia Airport, they checked into their hotel, which was right next to Times Square. Then, they walked to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and then went to the Top of the Rock, where they enjoyed views of the city on top of Rockefeller Center. 

Early the next day, the students got ready for the Circle Line Liberty Midtown Cruise, in which they were able to get views of New York Harbor, including the Statue of Liberty. After, the group was dropped off at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, where they had a masterclass with Nathan Herrington. Then, they returned to the hotel for a rehearsal with Hannah Holman. For dinner, the group went to Ellen’s Stardust Diner and later went to the Lincoln Center to watch a performance by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. 

On Sunday, the day of the performance, students started off their day with a sound check at Carnegie Hall after grabbing breakfast. Then, they had a few hours to relax and prepare for the performance. Violinist Anna Song ’25 shares her excitement before walking on stage.

“I felt really ready to play because we had been preparing for months, and I was just excited to get onto the stage and perform,” Song said.

After performing and watching the other high school orchestras and bands from across the nation, the group headed to Puglia Restaurant for dinner and were given some time to explore Little Italy and Chinatown on their own. Then they returned to Times Square and had time to explore and shop in small groups before lights out at the hotel.

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Mrudani Ramkumar

The Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island that was seen by Symphonic Strings on their cruise.

The following morning, students and chaperones got up early to load luggage and depart for the Newark Liberty International Airport. There, students had time at the airport to grab lunch and boarded their afternoon flight soon after. Upon arrival at the Chicago O’Hare Airport, the group boarded a charter bus headed back to West. When they arrived, many parents and family members were already waiting to pick up their student after the long day of traveling.

This opportunity to perform at one of the world’s best performance venues was an out-of-the-world experience for orchestra director Jon Welch, the students and the chaperones, and they look forward to starting to prepare for their next trip in the years to come.