As students traveled around the globe for spring break, about 40 members of the orchestra and choir headed to New York to perform. The orchestra played in a square on Madison Avenue, and the choir had a small impromptu performance in front of the Statue of Liberty.

“It was a bit excruciating for the orchestra because everything happened so fast. We had to set up everything and then break it down again in a very short amount of time, but overall, it was a nice experience,” sophomore Agota Csiki-Fejer said.

Besides performing, the students also visited the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and 911 Memorial.

“I loved seeing the Empire State Building at night because all the lights of the city were on, and it was really beautiful. Other than a busted tire, everything went according to plan, which is amazing when you think about it,” sophomore Helen Wojdylo said.

After that, the orchestra and choir had some leisure time to walk around the streets of New York City.

“It was a lot of fun just hanging out with my friends. We got to go around stores, and everyone took a bunch of pictures. Chinatown was pretty cool, too,” sophomore Joan Tao said.

The choir also saw Jersey Boys on Broadway.

“It was really amazing. The main character Frankie Valli could sing so high; it gave me goosebumps. That was one of my favorite experiences, among others,” junior Bayleigh Williams said.

On the same day, they attended a choral clinic at a vocal studio, and learned the song and choreography to “Masquerade” from Phantom of the Opera.

“Our vocal instructor was going to play Christine’s friend in Phantom of the Opera. She told us about Phantom of the Opera behind the scenes. They need to use the type of clothing from the 1800s with heavy clothing and masks, which is why, she explained, they have to sing really loud. It was really cool to hear these kinds of stories and learn these skills firsthand from a true legend,” Williams said.