The orchestra will be taking a bite out of the Big Apple this Spring Break when the LZHS orchestra goes to New York City to perform at United Nations and take in some of the sights that make NYC one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world.
“The trip is going to be busy; we have a packed schedule,” Serge Penksik, orchestra director, said. “We’re going to perform at United Nations, see the New York Philharmonic, see a Broadway play, go to some places like Chinatown, Times Square, Ellis Island, really all over New York so the students can experience a lot of the things that make New York City a great place to visit.”
There are around 44 students going on the New York trip, a number that includes students form both the Concert and Symphony Orchestras, according to Penksik. Hannah Brodner, sophomore cellist from Concert Orchestra, is one student attending the trip.
“I’m probably most excited to see all the sights; Times Square and Central Park are the things I’m looking forward to most because those are places that are really unique to New York,” Brodner said.
Besides seeing all the tourist attractions in New York, the orchestra is also performing at United Nations.
“I’m not nervous about the performance, but I hope the politicians don’t try talking to me,” Daniel Hayosh, sophomore violinst, said.
One thing the students are not excited for is the fourteen hour bus ride from Lake Zurich to New York.
“I don’t like the idea of spending that much time in a bus,” Hayosh said. “It will be cramped, stinky, and noisy.”
The upside of taking a bus toNew Yorkis solving the problem of how to get big instruments, like the bass and cello, to another place without damage or extravagant airline costs.
“The good thing about taking a bus is that it’s easier to bring the instruments with us in the storage area under the bus,” Penksik said. “If we were flying, we would have to worry about checking the instruments on the plane, which is expensive.”
Planning the trip takes more than worrying about the bus ride, as Penksik has been planning for over a year. Penksik chose the location for the trip because he thought the cultural experiences the students would get in New York City would be more interesting than the other choices provided from Bob Rodgers Travel, the company that arranged the performances and the other details of the trip.
“I started planning last year. That’s usually how long planning a trip like this takes. I started to get the information out last summer because it’s important that the students have enough time to talk to their parents to see who can go,” Penksik said. “Actually, a lot of the students who are seniors now went to Florida with the orchestra three years ago and got the younger kids excited about this trip.”
One important step in the planning that has yet to be completed is one of the most important: learning the music the orchestras will be performing in New York.
“I’m nervous about the music, although I think it’s some pieces we’ve played for previous concerts,” Brodner said. “We’re going to have rehearsals at night for people going on the trip, and I hope we can get all the music down well before we go.”
Ready or not, the trip is fast approaching, and Penksik says the students could not be happier.
“All the students going on the trip are very excited,” Penksik said. “I just think it’s a really good opportunity for them to experience a whole city that many wouldn’t have the chance to experience.”