LTE 7/20/08 Sun

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Waubonsie, Neuqua students are lauded

We recently attended a wonderful performance by the International Symphony Orchestra of the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. This is a well-known orchestra that tours Europe during the summer and is composed of students from all over the country who audition for seats.
We were surprised to discover that five are from Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley High Schools: Parker Nelson, Samantha Capel, Zoe Ziemkiewicz, Kelly Klees and Ted Li.

We send our congratulations to these students and District 204's dedicated music faculty. Also, congratulations to the taxpayers of District 204 who continue to support a world-class fine arts program.

Lane and Howard Bruskin

Plainfield

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High school music students studying at Birch Creek

July 21, 2008 SUN
Sun staff

Four high school musicians from Naperville will spend two weeks this summer studying symphony at Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Door County, Wis.

Zachary Hammond, Katherine Kohler and Will Smith of Neuqua Valley High School and Josephine Kane of Naperville North High School are among 51 students from across the nation selected to attend Birch Creek's symphony session.

Hammond, an oboist, and Kohler, a clarinetist, both received awards recognizing their woodwind performance in Neuqua's band program, while Smith plays tuba for the brass section. Kane plays viola in the Naperville North orchestra program. All four musicians study their instruments with private instructors, as well.

The Birch Creek program features a student-faculty ratio of about two-to-one so students can receive personal attention from top music educators and performers. The residential nature of the camp helps students not only hone their technical skills, but also learn about all aspects of life as a professional musician.

During their two-week stay, the musicians and their instructors will play six concerts for paying concertgoers. The symphony program is directed by Ricardo Castaneda, an oboe and English horn teacher at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Birch Creek offers similar two-week residential programs for students 13-18 in percussion and steel band and big band jazz. For more information about Birch Creek programs, call 920-868-3763, e-mail [e-mail] or visit www.birchcreek.org.