DG Tree Lighting: DGN Trojan Marching Band Performance

Thank you to the members of the DGN Trojan Marching Band for your spirited holiday performance at the 2021 Village of Downers Grove Tree Lighting!

Winter One Acts: Company, Crew and Cast/Director Photos

BLACKBOX CHAOS - Company

BLACKBOX CHAOS - Crew

The King’s Toll by Dimitri Marinakos, Zak 

Pantuso, and Hannah Kaufmann. Director: Dimitri Marinakos

Funeral Parlor by Christopher Durang. Director: Gavin McCool

The Philadelphia by David Ives. Director: Lillie Cawthorne

Boxed In by Ben Kingsland. Director: Emery Teague

A Christmas Chaos by Michael Wehrli. Director: Harley Blanchard

DGN Alumnus Muriel Anderson on Campus!

Famed guitar virtuoso, and North High alumnus, Muriel Anderson (www.murielanderson.com) visited North High on November 23, 2021 to present a master-class for musicians in the DGN Fine Arts Guitar 1 class.

Widely respected as one of the premier guitarists on the scene today, Muriel Anderson is the first woman to have won the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship. Her unique approach to the instrument virtually transforms the guitar into a lyrical choir, then a marching band, then a Japanese koto, then a Bluegrass band, amazing audiences with her technique and endearing them with her sense of humor. As one of the country’s foremost fingerstyle guitarists, her facility across the genres of folk, classical, jazz, bluegrass and international music is revered by guitarists worldwide. Muriel is the founder of the Music for Life Alliance charity.

Don't miss your chance to hear Muriel Anderson, live, in her annual Downers Grove "Saturday-After-Thanksgiving Concert." Details may be found HERE!

BLACKBOX CHAOS - DGN Theatre Winter One-Acts 2021

Congratulations to the cast and crews of BLACKBOX CHAOS, the DGN Theatre Winter One-Act plays. 

BLACKBOX CHAOS - WINTER ONE-ACTS 2021

Producer and Managing Director - Mr. Andrew Snider

Lights/Sound/Set/Props Supervision - Mr. Ariel Mozes

Costume Manager - Ms. Sara Temple

Directors - Harley Blanchard, Lillie Cawthorne, Dimitri Marinakos, 

Gavin McCool, Emery Teague

Assistant Directors - Helen Parker, Logan Rudd

Production Stage Manager - Zoe Petro

Assistant Production Stage Manager - Brooke Kowalski

Technical Director - Raymond Zaloudek

Lighting and Sound Supervisor - Robby Boucher

Costume Crew Head - Sophie Harris

A Christmas Chaos by Michael Wehrli

Director: Harley Blanchard

Cast:

Actor 1 - Matthew Sirota

Actor 2 - Keya Gupta

Actor 3 - Morgan Lally / Emily Kyroudis

Actor 4 - Gabe Deaton

Actor 5 - Morgan Lally

Actor 6 - Emily Kyroudis

Props and Backstage Technicians:

Lauren Burzynski, Connor Daemicke

Lighting and Sound Technician:

Audrey Burcham

Costumer:

Josh Ronquill

Boxed In by Ben Kingsland

Director: Emery Teague

Cast:

Jill - Sarah Lampsa

Delaney - Maggie Cummins

Pendergast - Lauren Pierret

Nathan - Nathan Farrero

Props and Backstage Technician:

Penny Ham

Lighting and Sound Technician:

Rebecca Helsdon

Costumer:

Nathan Klasen

The Philadelphia by David Ives

Director: Lillie Cawthorne

Waitress - Isabel Scholle

Al - Ashley Chavez

Mark - Logan Rudd

Props and Backstage Technician:

Natasha Fugate

Lighting and Sound Technician:

Rebecca Helsdon

Costumer:

Brianna Lee

Funeral Parlor by Christopher Durang

Director: Gavin McCool

Marge - Anna Figliomeni

Susan - Leah Costello

David - Nathan Farrero

Mourner #1 - Maggie Cummins

Mourner #2 - Lauren Pierret

Props and Backstage Technician:

Connor Daemicke

Lighting and Sound Technician:

Finn Larkin

Costumer:

Sophia Harris

The King’s Toll by Dimitri Marinakos, Zak 

Pantuso, and Hannah Kaufmann

Director: Dimitri Marinakos

Director/Knight - Andrew Marron

Queen - Grace Troelstrup

Page - Marin Grace Koch

Jester - Jake Rambke

Wizard - Lex Truby

King - Finn Ormond

Props and Backstage Technicians:

Raymond Zaloudek, Nora Holmes

Lighting and Sound Technician:

Finn Larkin

Costumer:

Kate Weiner

DGN Musicians Earn 2021-22 All-State Honors

Sixteen student musicians from Downers Grove North High School have earned All-State honors through the Illinois Music Education Association.  Students were selected to the All-State Band, All-State Chorus, All-State Orchestra and as an All-State Composer. All-State musicians will travel to Peoria, IL, from January 26 - 29, 2022 to participate in the Illinois Music Education Conference. 

Audition videos were submitted to the ILMEA, and all videos were adjudicated by a panel of professional musicians. The highest scoring musicians from across the State of Illinois have been tapped as All-State Musicians for 2021-22. 

“We are truly thrilled for these students and their families,” said Brayer Teague, Fine Arts Department Chair at North High.  “Many people helped these students achieve this success, beginning with their very first elementary school music teachers and extending to their private-lessons teachers today.  North High is very proud to have these incredible musicians representing District 99 at the All-State level, and we are excited they are now recognized alongside the very best musicians in the State of Illinois.”

The music faculty of North High School is proud to congratulate the following students who have earned ILMEA All-State Honors:

 

CHORUS

Bridget Callaghan (12) – Soprano II

Jonathan Isoniemi (11) – Bass I

Cora Lingenfelter (12) – Soprano I

Ian Stagaman (12) – Bass I 

 

ORCHESTRA STRINGS

Stephen Cecil (11) – Viola 

Melissa Parkinson (12) – Double Bass

 

WINDS and PERCUSSION

Penny Ham (12) – Piccolo (Orchestra)

Cameron Hejny (11) – Clarinet (Orchestra)

Zachery Heppner (12) – Clarinet (Band)

Tabitha Irvin (11) – Bass Clarinet (Band)

Francesca Korbitz (12) – Flute (Band)

Ethan Martin (10) – Tuba (Band)

Kyra McComb (12) – Percussion (Orchestra)

Aarush Palli (10) – Flute (Band)

Ethan Weingust (10) – Bassoon (Band)

 

COMPOSITION

Sophia Hamelka (10) 

DGN All-District Musicians Perform at 2021 ILMEA Festival

Congratulations to the DGN student-musicians selected to perform in the Illinois Music Education Association District Festival. Students from across the Chicago region were selected by competitive audition to participate in day-long educational workshops with highly respected guest conductors, and present a culminating concert for family, friends, and educators.

Thank you to the faculty, staff and Music Education majors at Elmhurst University for welcoming our students to campus as the Festival Host site.

ILMEA District 1 Senior Chorus

SENIOR CHORUS

Bridget Callaghan (12) 

Leah Costello (11) 

Fiona Doyle (10) 

Abby France (11) 

Jonathan Isoniemi (11) 

Kristen Kras (11) 

Sarah Lampsa (10) 

Christine Lee (12) 

Cora Lingenfelter (12) 

Finn Ormond (10) 

Tana Purcell (10) 

Lake Ragnini (12) 

Ian Stagaman (12) 

ILMEA District 1 Senior Orchestra

SENIOR ORCHESTRA

Stephen Cecil (11) – Viola

Cameron Hejny (11) – Clarinet 

Zachery Heppner (12) – Clarinet 

Isaac Hsu (12) – Cello

Robert Huth (11) – Cello

Ella Knickerbocker (11) – Violin 

Kyra McComb (12) – Percussion 

Nicole Moravec (11) – Violin 

Amaya Munoz (12) – Violin

Melissa Parkinson (12) – Double Bass

Caitlyn Stocki (12) – Harp 

Julia Toth (11) – Horn 

Ethan Weingust (10) – Bassoon 

ILMEA District 1 Senior Band

SENIOR BAND 

Penny Ham (12) – Piccolo

Tabitha Irvin (11) – Bass Clarinet 

Charlie Janka (9) – Oboe

Hannah Janka (11) – Horn 

Francesca Korbitz (12) – Flute

Ethan Martin (10) – Tuba 

Aarush Palli (10) – Flute 

ILMEA District 1 9/10 Choir

9/10 CHOIR

Max Churma (10)

Emily Doherty (9)

Kate France (9)

Brady Travers (9)

DGN Welcomes Representatives from London’s New Year's Day Parade & Choral Festival Committee

Fine Arts faculty and students from North High School in Downers Grove have been invited to perform in the London's New Year's Day Parade & Choral Festival on January 1, 2023. On Wednesday, November 17, North High welcomed London's New Year's Day Parade & Choral Festival Committee for a ceremony and reception. View event photos HERE. View a broadcast of the invitation ceremony, HERE. 

The committee was welcomed by district and school administrators and North High band and choirs kicked off the ceremony by performing in the auditorium. The London delegates who formally invited North High School to London in 2023 included Mr. Bob Bone, London's New Year's Day Parade Founder and Executive Director; Mr. Steve Summers, London Mayors’ Association, Chairman; and Mr. Jonathan Whaley, Director of International Participation. The delegates presented the invitation to Dr. Hank Thiele, District 99 Superintendent; Dr. Courtney DeMent, Principal; Mr. Brayer Teague, Fine Arts Department Chairperson; and Mr. Robert Barnett, Mayor of Downers Grove.

“On behalf of the Fine Arts Department, we are honored to be invited to perform in London. The New Year’s Day Parade is one of the greatest parades in the world, and our marching band is thrilled to have the opportunity to return,” says North High Fine Arts Department Chair Brayer Teague. “The London International Choral Festival will be an outstanding performance opportunity for our singers, and we are excited to plan a cross-disciplinary tour that involves so many student musicians.” Teague added, “It was a pleasure meeting the committee and introducing them to our district and school administrators and our talented students and faculty.”

“North High School band and choir students will have a life-changing week in the historic city of London performing in the parade and immersing in a full educational program visiting museums, historic sites and places of architectural and artistic interest,” says London’s New Year’s Day Parade Executive Director Bob Bone. “We look forward to seeing the North High School students and staff to ring in the new year in 2023.”

In the parade, North High band students will perform to a street audience of over half a million people, with up to 600 million around the world watching on television. The parade will stream on the PBS Network in the United States. In the Festival Concert Series, choir students will perform to packed houses in some of London’s most prestigious music venues. The North High School Fine Arts Department participated in the parade in 2019 and 2015.

CYSO Returns to Symphony Center

DGN percussionist Kyra McComb made her Symphony Center debut on November 14. The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, now in its 75th Anniversary Season, performed their first live concert on the iconic Orchestra Hall stage in two years. 

Congratulations to Kyra, and all of the talented musicians of the CYSO!

DGN Jazz Musicians Perform at ILMEA District Festival

Congratulations to our DGN student musicians who were selected to perform in the ILMEA District 1 Jazz Festival on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at Oak Lawn Community High School. We are so proud of your accomplishments as jazz musicians!

SENIOR INSTRUMENTAL JAZZ 

John Fioti (10) – Bass Trombone (Jazz Band II)

Kyra McComb (12) – Drum Set (Jazz Band I)

Melissa Parkinson (12) – Jazz Bass (Jazz Band I)

SENIOR VOCAL JAZZ

Leah Costello (11) – Soprano (Vocal Jazz Ensemble II)

A heartfelt thank you to our colleagues at Oak Lawn High School for hosting the festival for the day. Your work and hospitality was greatly appreciated!