Orchestra Updates
Upcoming Concerts!
Tuesday, April 14, 7 p.m., MNHS Auditorium – all orchestra students perform + Senior Recognition Night
Time: 7:00 p.m. (Student call time is 6:30 p.m.)
Location: MNHS Auditorium
Special Event: This evening includes our Senior Recognition Night.
Attire: Concert black (Seniors are welcome to wear prom attire!).
Grading: This concert is required and worth 200 points.
Action Items for the Concert:
Refreshments: Use this link: Post-Concert Refreshments Sign Up to contribute.
Program Review: Please check the Draft Program Link and email me with any errors or omissions by April 13.
Live Stream: A link to the stream will be available shortly.
Saturday, May 9, morning – Philharmonic students perform at the ASTA Young Orchestra Festival held at MSHS
Saturday, May 9, 1 p.m., MNHS Auditorium – Seniors and selected sophomores and juniors perform at our Community Concert and Carnival!
Saturday, May 23, 10 a.m. – Chamber and Symphony Orchestra performance at Graduation @ Baxter Arena
June 1: Deadline to register for MPS Upper Level Orchestra Camp
July 6-10, 6-9 p.m. – MPS Upper Level Orchestra Camp at MNHS!
2027 Orchestra Trip Kick-off!
MNHS Orchestra takes one major trip every four years, and 2027 is the year! All students enrolled for the 2026-27 school year are eligible. We have an action-packed plan for April 6-9, 2027 in St. Louis, MO!
- Kickoff Meeting: Monday, April 27 | 6:30 p.m. | MNHS Band Room
- Note: The Worlds of Fun trip (May 17) has been canceled. Trip deposit refunds will be issued this week.
Practice Expectations:
Students should still practice at least 10-15 minutes a day over break to cement precise intonation, rhythm, bowings, and musicality. They also have recordings to reference if they are traveling/do not have access to their instruments.
Instrument Rentals for 2026-27
Current Renters: If your student is staying in orchestra next year, I will check out the same school instrument to them for 2026-27.
New Requests: If your student needs a school instrument for next year but doesn’t have one yet, please contact me.
Not Returning? Instruments must be returned by the end of class on finals day.
Omaha Area Youth Orchestras
Omaha Area Youth Orchestras (OAYO) auditions are open!
If you are interested in taking your performance to the next level, OAYO is a great place to do just that. Audition information may be found at the OAYO audition website.
Honorable Mentions
Congratulations to the Calamari Quintet on their performance at the 2026 NCA Lunar New Year Festival on 2/21!
What is MakeMusic Cloud? MPS purchased a subscription to a powerful music learning tool called MakeMusic Cloud for all HS orchestra students. We have discovered that several student laptops need adjustments in order to function properly with the program. Please consult this trouble-shooting document if your student is experiencing microphone issues.
Congratulations to our MNHS Orchestra members selected to the 2026 UNO BOCH Honors Orchestra! Violins: Lucy L, Saara M, Advaith N, Arun R! All are welcome to attend their final performance Saturday, 1/30 at 4 PM in the UNO Strauss Performing Arts Center!
Congratulations to Ryan Dong, winner of the 2026 MNHS Concerto Competition and to Lucille Liu, runner up! Ryan will perform Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen with the orchestra on March 3.
Congrats to our Orchestra students who earned National Merit and Perfect ACT Scores!
See news broadcast of perfect ACT recognition here.
Weather Concerns
Winter Weather
During winter weather, stringed instruments can come unglued and/or crack because of dry air and cold temperatures. To mitigate the effects of weather on your instrument, I highly recommend getting a humidifier and humidity gauge for your instrument. Keeping your instrument in moderate temperatures (60-78 degrees Fahrenheit) and managing humidity will add years of playability to your instrument’s life.
Inclement Weather – FYI – here is the Late Start schedule for MNHS Orchestra and the handbook entry relating to Orchestra Inclement Weather procedures.
Additional Music Courses
If your child plans to major or minor in music in college, I would recommend they also sign up for Intro to Music Theory and AP Music Theory. We also have a cool course called Digital Music Production and Songwriting.
If you’re considering becoming a music teacher, check out TeachMusic.org, a groundbreaking online resource for students and parents navigating the music education career path!
Course Recommendations – Should be up-to-date in Synergy!
If you have questions or need further information, contact me at djmartin@mpsomaha.org