The highest award a high school orchestra can receive is to be invited to perform for the Midwest Clinic. On average, a couple hundred orchestras from all across the world, including California, Spain, and Italy, apply to try and enter this competition every year.

Vernon Hills High School’s Symphony Orchestra has qualified to perform for this competition for the first time in five years.

There were only four orchestras accepted into the program this year. “This is what people from all around the country apply for,” said Mr. Heath, director of the VHHS orchestra. “This is the big event for orchestra.”

The competitiveness of the event is only met by its caliber. With 17,000 band and orchestra directors who attend every year, this event is where people go to hear the cream of the crop. “People come to sort of hear what’s possible with young people,” Mr. Heath said. “There are college groups that come, so it’s a chance to see what’s possible at a college level as well. They want to get ideas for music to perform.”

New music is published every year specifically to be performed for the Midwest Clinic. As Mr. Heath described, “About half of the program is required to be things that have been written in the past few years, and they help you through that process. In 2009, Vernon Hills played 11 pieces and of those 11, four of them were written between 2007 and 2009.”

The orchestra has not yet decided on the pieces that they will play for the Clinic.

However, because the clinic showcases completely original pieces, the judges of the competition look for a group who has been consistently good for the past few years. Having been renowned for its orchestra since the school was created, VHHS was an easy pick this year. As Mr. Linness-Bagley, assistant director of the Orchestra, said, “I had a good feeling based on Vernon Hill’s reputation and [the orchestra’s] ability that we would be able to make it into the competition this year.” The group of students this year is at the top of all orchestras VHHS has ever had.

For orchestras that were not accepted, problems may have arrived from having too many talented seniors. “You have to submit a roster of your students, and who is graduating that year, so that they make sure it is not some freakishly good orchestra of all Seniors,” said Mr. Heath. Thankfully, there is a mixture of talented students in our Orchestra from all grade levels.

One such Junior is Diana Mahlis: “I’m really proud of us. It’s going to be a great experience next year.”

The competition will take place at McCormick place in Downtown Chicago from December 16th-19th. Though the songs have yet to be decided, there is still a high energy in the room for every rehearsal that takes place.