District 99 Orchestra Honors Recital

The 2007 District 99 Orchestra Honors Reciatal was held on Monday, April 23, and featured tremendous performances by a variety of students from both Downers Grove North and Downers Grove South High School.


Viola Concerto No. 1 in D major.....Carl Stamitz (1745-1801)
I. Allegro
Christopher Mihelich, viola
Belford Hernandez, piano

String Quartet in D minor, Op. 10, No. 2.....Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)
I. Grave, Allegro
Haylie Choi and Jillian Oury, violin
Rahul Kamath, viola
Michael Salazar, violoncello

Primmo Guitar Concerto, Op. 30.....Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829)
II. Siciliana
Sebastian Garcia, guitar
Rachel Edwards and Lauren Marino, Violin I
Conner Bernardin and Rudy Rendek, Violin II
Justine Stukas and Victoria Nogle, Viola
Nicholas Rudy and Anita Maurer, Violoncello
Michael Benning, Double Bass

Concerto Grosso, Opus 6, No. 1, in G major.....George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
I. A tiempo jiusto
II. Allegro
Brittany Childs and Ayden Zarkhah, violin
Katrina Garland, viola
Margaux Leja, violoncello

Concerto in C minor.....Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)
I. Allegro molto ma maestoso
Renée Douglas, viola
Nancy Michalek, piano

Symphonie Espagnole.....Édouard Lalo (1823-1892)
I. Allegro non troppo
Haylie Choi, violin
Belford Hernandez, piano

String Quartet No. 12 in F, Op. 96, B. 179 "American".....Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
IV. Finale: vivace ma non troppo
Rachel Edwards and Joseph Beckmann, violin
Rahul Kamath, violaMichael Salazar, violoncello

Welcome Home Mike Svoboda

This week the Fine Arts Department enjoyed a surprise visit from Mike Svoboda (DGN Class of '78) who is visiting Downers Grove from his home in Germany. Mr. Svoboda is a professional instrumentalist and composer, with many performances and works to his credit. While at North High School Mr. Svoboda listened to a rehearsal by the Wind Ensemble and offered senior Rusty Jehangir a private lesson as he prepares for his concerto performance with the band on May 31.

Thank you Mr. Svoboda!

Michael Kocour - Artist in Residence

North High welcomes Prof. Michael Kocour to District 99 as our April Jazz Artist in Residence. Tonight's concert begins at 7 PM in the Clarence Johnson Auditorium.

Michael Kocour is an Associate Professor and the Director of Jazz Studies in the School of Music at Arizona State University’s Herberger College of Fine Arts. Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “one of the most sophisticated pianists in jazz,” Kocour has performed at the 1992 World’s Fair in Seville, the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, the Blue Note in New York, and the Chicago, Montreal and Quebec City Jazz festivals. Among the many artists and ensembles with whom he has appeared are Dizzy Gillespie, Eddie Harris, James Moody, Eddie Daniels, Randy Brecker, Benny Golson, Ira Sullivan, Carl Fontana, Dewey Redman, Lew Tebackin, and the Chicago Symphony.
His recorded work as a studio musician includes soundtracks to two major motion pictures, and numerous television commercials. He has eight works published by Warner Brothers, which include collections of original compositions and arrangements for piano.

Kocour holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from University of Illinois and a Master of Music in Music Theory from Northwestern University. He was awarded National Endowment for the Arts study grants in 1988 and 1990 and from 1991-94 he was a visiting lecturer in Jazz Studies and Piano Pedagogy at the University of Illinois.

In recognition of excellence in teaching, Mr. Kocour was awarded the Herberger College of Fine Arts Distinguished Teacher Award for the academic year 2004-2005.