Jazz & Percussion Concert Tuesday Night!

The DGN Jazz Ensemble, DGN Jazz Lab Band, DGN Percussion Ensemble will present the annual "Jazz & Percussion Concert," on Tuesday, April 12, at 7:00 PM in the Clarence Johnson Auditorium of North High School. Special guests will include the Herrick Middle School Jazz Band and the Jefferson Junior High School Friends of Jazz.

Out-of-town family and friends may view the concert, live-streamed, on the DGN Fine Arts YouTube Channel, HERE, or by visiting: www.youtube.com/DGNFineArts

Audition for Shrek! 2023 Illinois All-State Musical

Each year the Illinois High School Theatre Festival produces an "All State Musical." The January 2023 production will be Shrek (Music by Jeanine Tesori; Book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire).

Students from across the state of Illinois may audition for roles as actors, technicians, and pit orchestra musicians.

Several current and recent DGN Fine Arts students have won roles in the All State Musical, representing each of the available areas:

• Cabaret (2022): Vera Barlin, crew; Harley Blanchard, actor; Mandy McGinn, pit orchestra; Melissa Parkinson, pit orchestra
• Aida (2020): Renee Boone, actor; Travon Moore, actor; Matthew Spencer, crew
• Big Fish (2018): Ellie Banke, actor; Jack Cannan, crew
• Sweeney Todd (2017): Miles Teague, pit orchestra

If you are interested in learning more about the production please visit THIS LINK for additional details. HERE is the official Audition Packet. This year's Audition Workshop will be very conveniently located at Downers Grove South HS, on May 1.

There are many talented musicians, actors and technicians at DGN, and your Fine Arts faculty stands ready and willing to advise and coach any interested student through the audition/application process. Financial support is available, from DGN, for students who are ultimately selected to the cast/crew/orchestra. Let us know if you would like to pursue this opportunity!

Winter Guard Showcase Closes Historic Season!

Congratulations to the members of the DGN Winter Guard for a historic and successful 2022 campaign. The team was promoted to a higher division mid-season, and finished "Top 3" at every competition they entered this year, including the Circuit Championships. 

Thank you to the family and friends who came out to support the team on Wednesday night at the season finale, the Winter Guard Showcase. A special shout-out to the family members who joined-in the fun with a special re-creation of this year's show (view HERE)! 

Click HERE for access to a folder of additional images from the Winter Guard Showcase, compliments of photographer Ms. Jill Stocki. 

DGN Tri-M Chapter - 2022 Induction Ceremony

Congratulations to the members of North High's Tri-M National Music Honor Society as they were inducted this evening at a ceremony held in the Clarence Johnson Auditorium.

The Tri-M Honor Society is a program of the National Association for Music Education which focuses on creating future leaders in music education and music advocacy. There are 1,800 chapters across all 50 states, involving more than 75,000 students.

A special thank-you is extended to faculty sponsor Ms. Amanda Zall for her leadership in leading the Downers Grove North High School chapter of Tri-M.

Inductees & Continuing Members

Ajoni Anand 

Audrey Anderson

Angelina Antonio

Madeline Antonio

Stella Bank

Elizabeth Bauer 

Lizzy Beavers

Grace Brenner

Anika Canamedi

Gwen Casten

Stephen Cecil

Henry Conkright

Libby DeCero

Chloe Edmondson

John Fioti

Pallavi Fisher

Natalie Folkening

Claire Foster

Abby France

Juliana Gomien

Penny Ham

Cameron Hejny

Isaac Hsu

Tabitha Irvin

Hannah Janka

Daina Jaskulis 

Alex Krejca

Sarah Lampsa

Gina Liu

Kyra McComb

Sophie Michaels

Katherine Mielke

Amelia Molina

Nicole Moravec

Sydney Moss

Mara Neil

Phoenix Nystrom

Melissa Parkinson

Bansri Patel

Holden Peckenpaugh 

Angela Perez

Ashley Poquette

Addie Potter

Norah Rajesh

Heather Ramsey

Josh  Ronquillo

Audrey Slavkin

Griffin Sullivan

Jade Toledano

Summer Vavra

Ethan Weingust

Tim Wise

DGN Winter Guard Takes Bronze Medal at Circuit Championships!

Congratulations to the DGN Winter Guard on an incredibly successful, award-winning season!  The team brought their polished show to the Midwest Color Guard Circuit Championships, and with a score of 78.37 finished as 3rd place medalists at finals!  

The tremendous success of this season is certainly one for the books!  From their class promotion early in the season, to their "Top 3" finishes throughout, this was a season that left their coaches glowing with pride to the very end.  We are exceptionally proud of the Winter Guard and all they have accomplished this year.

An extra congratulations are in order for Akshi Mistry and Lake Ragnini who were awarded scholarships at this weekend's circuit championships!  Akshi Mistry was awarded with the Larry Bakko Memorial Scholarship, and Lake Ragnini was awarded the Dot Dahnke Scholarship.  

If you have yet to see the Winter Guard's show, you have one last chance!  Come check out the team's final performance of this season's show, "Can't Burst My Bubble" at the DGN Winter Guard Showcase this Wednesday, April 6th at 7:30pm in the Purple Gym.  Admission is free, and all are welcome to attend.  The showcase comes complete with a special performance by the team's parents/guardians and a chance at the end of the showcase to try your hand at spinning a flag, for those who are interested!

New DGN-FOFA Spirit Store Offers Expanded Options!

The DGN Friends of Fine Arts have launched a new Spirit Store that significantly expands options to purchase and own Visual Art, Theatre and Music program merchandise. Orders are shipped directly to your home within days. Show your support for the arts by visiting the site today!

tinyurl.com/DGN-FOFASpiritStore

Five DGN Visual Artists Earn National Scholastic Art Awards

Congratulations to DGN Visual Artists Claire Meyers, Emily Nemeth, Haley Phillips, Aiden Robinson, and Elena Tomchek, who have been honored with National Medals by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, placing their artwork in the Top 1% of all adjudicated works nationally. 

"We are thrilled for these students, and this amazing national accomplishment," said DGN Fine Arts Department Chairperson Brayer Teague. "Their hard work and determination, coupled with the exceptional mentoring of their teachers, has propelled them to be recognized at this level. We could not be happier for them." 

Each year, the Alliance of Young Artists and Writers partners with more than 100 visual arts and literary arts organizations across the country to bring the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards to local communities. Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) apply in 29 categories of art and writing. Starting in 1923, the competition has made an enduring impact on the art and education. In 2021-22, students submitted over 300,000 works of art and writing to the Scholastic Awards.

Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

Students receiving Regional Gold Keys, Silver Keys, Honorable Mentions, or American Voices and Visions Nominations are celebrated within their communities through local exhibitions and ceremonies. Gold Key works are then judged nationally by an impressive panel of creative–industry experts to receive National Medals, including Gold Medals, Silver Medals, American Voices and Visions Medals, Gold Medal and Silver with Distinction Portfolio Medals, and Special Achievement Awards. 

Musicians Shine at D99 Vocal Honors Recital

Congratulations to each of the North High School & South High School musicians selected to perform in the D99 Vocal Honors Recital on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Sammy Bachara

Olivia Balicki

Ceci DeArcangelis

Abby France

Kate France

Nathan Frewen

Christina Godar

Cora Lingenfelter

Annie Methard 

Faith Nelson

Maximillian O'Connor

Finn Ormond

Lake Ragnini

Sydney Richardson

Abby Rook

Ryan Rosignal

Gwendolynne Royle

Ian Stagaman

Jo Stewart

Emery Teague

DGN Chamber Choir:

Bridget Callaghan

Owen Curran 

Connor Daemicke 

Alexa Hanson 

Jonathan Isoniemi 

Catherine Laffey 

Christine Lee  

Cora Lingenfelter 

Lake Ragnini 

Kathryn Rutkowski 

Ryan Sanhamel 

Ian Stagaman 

Lex Truby 

DGS Madrigal Singers:

Kaleb Ancell

Sammy Bachara

Brantley Bilby

Nolan Crooks

Adreana Duarte

Tyler Engel

Nathan Frewen

Mackenzie Gambrel

Aaric Hager

Ashley James

Zachary Mead

Reinette Monteiro

Faith Nelson

Maximilian O’Connor

Charlie O’Neill

Kassem Ossman

Sydney Richardson

Abby Rook

Ryan Rosignal

Gwendolynne Royle

Jo Stewart

Delaney Turner

DGN Visual Artists Earn 5.8 Million In Scholarship Offers!

Dozens of talented visual artists, from 100+ Illinois high schools, converged to showcase their art and vie for college scholarships offered at the 10th Annual Illinois High School Art Exhibition (IHSAE).

22 DGN Visual Art students earned a combined $5,888,932 in scholarship offers from ten of the nation's leading collegiate visual art programs: Art Academy of Cincinnati, Cleveland Institute of Art, Columbus College of Art & Design, Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Iowa State University, Millikin University, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Northern Illinois University, and Western Michigan University.

DGN's combined scholarship total was the highest of any single high school in the state of Illinois this year.

Click HERE for a virtual tour of the 2022 IHSAE exhibitions.

Congratulations to scholarship-winning DGN Visual Art students:

Ana Barnett

Ethan Bell

Cooper George

Ali Hackett

Ohana Jeron

Valerie Kersh

Mikki McCann

Gavin McCool

Caden Meegan

Claire Meyers

Mikayla Moran

Joni Murphy

Autumn Neil

Jack Oakes

Madeline Pearson

Stena Powell

Lake Ragnini

Madi Smith

Benedikt Strempfer

Jade Taylor

Rhianna Tinsley

Ashley Zochowski

Congratulations D99 Orchestras!

Congratulations to the members of the D99 Concert Orchestra, and D99 Symphonic Orchestra for a wonderful performance at the Winter Orchestra Concert, held on March 17, 2022 in the Clarence Johnson Auditorium of North High. A special commendation is extended to senior soloists Isaac Hsu (cello) and Caitlyn Stock (harp) for their outstanding concerto performances!

D99 Orchestra Concert - Thursday, March 17

The D99 Orchestras will be in concert this Thursday, March 17, at 7:00 PM in the Clarence Johnson Auditorium of North High School. Please join us on the DGN campus to enjoy performances by the Concert Orchestra and Symphonic Orchestra, with senior concerto soloists Isaac Hsu (Cello) and Caitlyn Stocki (Harp). 

Concert program HERE. [tinyurl.com/D99WinterOrch22]

Out-of-town family and friends may view the concert, live-streamed, on the DGN Fine Arts YouTube Channel, HERE, or by visiting: www.youtube.com/DGNFineArts

Mr. Pappageorge, Take a Bow!

Following the final performance of DGN's Mary Poppins, the company paused to honor Mr. Demetrios Pappageorge and thank him for twenty-years of theatre-program leadership. Mary Poppins marks Mr. Pappageorge's final production as Director at North High. Click HERE to see the tribute, the sentiments expressed by students, and Mr. Pappageorge's final bow.

Mary Poppins Opens to Rave Reviews!

Congratulations to the cast, crew and orchestra of DGN's Mary Poppins, for an opening that was "practically perfect in every way!"