The school orchestra is preparing for the upcoming annual winter concert that will be held in the PAC on December 11 from 7:30 to 9pm.

The program will feature the concert and symphony orchestra, with 140 stringed instrument students and 40 band members performing.

“Symphony orchestra combines with some of the wind players so that we can have the full orchestra experience that we do,” Serge Penksik, Orchestra director, said. “We can play pieces that involve woodwinds and brass and percussion.”

The orchestra has been practicing several holiday-themed songs such as the “Hallelujah Chorus,” “Silent Night,” and festive medleys such as the “Mad Russian’s Christmas,” for their concert. However, Penksik hopes the program is more than just a performance.

“You kind of try to create a program that will be not only fun to listen to, but actually beneficial to the listener. They might take something away from it,” Penksik said. “You try and make it engaging for everybody, make it fun for everybody.”

The orchestra students have been preparing through extensive daily practice, both in and out of class, in order to be ready for the concert, Hannah Kirkpatrick, sophomore and first violinist, said.

“You want to [practice] on your own, and then rehearse as a whole group,” Kirkpatrick said. “[There’s] a difference between practicing and rehearsing, because when you come into rehearsal, you should know what you need to play, and you should be able to play it without a problem.”

After all the practicing and rehearsing, the students and teachers are excited to finally get the chance to perform their music in front of a large audience, Penksik said.

“I just get excited to see our orchestra do a good job. It’s exciting for me to see my students get excited about the fine performance they did. That’s the rewarding part of my profession,” Penksik said. “Getting the big applause at the concert, it’s their achievement, and that’s what I like to see. That’s the reason I became a music teacher, because I like to see students succeed through music.”

The orchestra hopes the concert will be a huge success, Kirkpatrick said, and that it puts people in a cheery holiday mood.

“[People should go to the concert] to support the music program as a whole, and I think it will be really good,” Kirkpatrick said. “I think it will be a fun night with a lot of good music.”