2010 Spring Art Show

The 2010 Spring Art Show opened on Monday. Hundreds of creative works
are on display in the Main Street Lobby through Friday.
Congratulations to DGN Visual Artists and the Fine Arts Visual Art
Faculty!

DGN Artists Sweep the Elmhurst Art Museum Awards

Three North High visual artists were recently honored by the Elmhurst Art Museum as having the most outstanding portfolios of this year's participants.  This is the third annual portfolio exhibition, and it is open to all high school seniors in DuPage County.

EAM works directly with local high school art teachers who select student art portfolios to be sent to the Museum for judging.  Each submitted portfolio consists of six works created in the same medium.  Up to twenty-five portfolios are selected for the exhibition.  The Museum hosts several educational programs for students including Portfolio 101 and Careers in the Arts Day. 

The following students/schools were represented in this year's exhibition:

William Blake, Hinsdale Central High School
Alison Chatten, Wheaton North High School
Stephen Davalos, Wheaton North High School
Laura Dunne, York Community High School Katie Earl, Downers Grove North High School
Kerry Furrh, Wheaton North High School
Hillary Galvin, Hinsdale Central High School David Huettner, Downers Grove South High School
Nicole Irwin, Downers Grove North High School
David Martini, Downers Grove North High School
Samantha Merrell, Wheaton North High School Padraic O’Connor, Downers Grove North High School
Alex Wieder, Hinsdale South High School
Cloe Zikmund, Glenbard North High School

North High student Padraic O'Connor won "Best In Show", and two "Honorable Mention" awards were given - also to North High students: Katie Earl and Nicole Irwin.

Information about the exhibit may be found at the Elmhurst Art Museum website:  http://www.elmhurstartmuseum.org

Elmhurst Art Museum
150 Cottage Hill Ave.
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126
630.834.0202

Two DGN Artists Win National Silver Medal

Three students from Community High School District 99, including two from Downers Grove North High School have received a prestigious national award for their outstanding artwork through The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the 87 year-old national program that recognizes outstanding creative teenagers and offers scholarship opportunities for graduating high school seniors. This year’s Award recipients from Downers Grove North High School were Nicole Irwin and Padraic O'connor. Both were awarded a Silver medal for their art portfolios.  Padraic's concentration was Digital Art and Nicole's was in Jewelry and Metalwork.

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the national nonprofit organization that presents The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, will honor these students in early June, at a gala celebration at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Selected award recipients and high school seniors recognized with top honors for portfolios will have their art/writing exhibited in Manhattan at the World Monuments Fund Gallery.

Art Students Honored Through Woodridge/D99 Partnership

District 99 / Woodridge Art Show

Faculty members from DGN and DGS collaborated to prepare and present the 2010 District 99/Woodridge Public Library Art Show. The show opens on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 6:00 PM with a short awards ceremony at 7:00 PM. Winners in multiple media categories as well as an overall "Best in Show" will be announced for each campus. The Best in Show piece from both schools will be sent to the national Creative Self Expression Show, sponosored locally by Suszyn Mills and the Great Frame Up store in Woodridge. Special thanks also to Susan McNeil-Marshall and the Woodridge Public Library staff for being such wonderful hosts for our student artists.

'Sharing Is Caring' Concert

Congratulations to the members of the DGN Symphonic Band Percussion
Ensemble, the DGN Jazz Lab Band, and the DGN Jazz Ensemble for their
outstanding performances at the 2010 North High 'Sharing Is Caring'
Concert.

Guest artist Charley Harrison (UCLA) performed six selections through
the course of the evening, and the Jazz Ensemble's performance of the
1924 Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin received an immediate and
lengthy standing ovation by all in attendance.

Congratulations to all students who performed!

Artist In Residence - DGN Welcomes Charley Harrison from UCLA

DGN Musicians Study Gershwin / Recreate History

The DGN Jazz Ensemble will present, as a part of the April 13th 'Sharing is Caring' Concert at North High, a recreation of the original 1924 performance of George Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue.

A little known historical fact about Gershwin's "Rhapsody" - even among professional musicians - is that the piece was originally written for jazz band.  The work, premiered by Paul Whiteman's Jazz Orchestra in New York City in 1924, employs standard jazz band instrumentation, and adds violins, French horns, oboe, banjo, tuba, and orchestral percussion.

"Every effort has been made to recreate the sound of the original performance," said music teacher Brayer Teague.  "We rented reproductions of the original Gershwin manuscripts from the holding library in New York and have rehearsed from them so that our students could more fully appreciate Gershwin's compositional process in creating this master-work."

Junior Marie Kirkegaard will perform the solo piano part originally performed by Gershwin himself.

The concert begins at 7:00 PM in the Clarence Johnson Auditorium.  Admission is free, and the concert is open to the public.

EIU Trumpet Ensemble

DGN Band Alumnus Jay Keliher returned to North High on Friday to
perform with the Eastern Illinois University Trumpet Ensemble.

Spring Band Concert - March 18

Congratulations to the members of the Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble for their wonderful performance at the March 18th Spring Band Concert.  All three groups achieved sonic success while performing a program of challenging literature.

Special kudos are extended to Caroline Hlohowskyj (trumpet) and Emma Sassano (marimba) for their solo performances, and to Mr. Bob Graham of our Social Studies Department for narrating "Liberty for All."

Orchestra Concert

This past week the District 99 Orchestra performed a terrific concert featuring several student soloists and Dvorak's New World Symphony.  Kudos to Ms. Mullen and all of the orchestra students from North and South on a performance that everyone can be very proud of. 

A video clip of the Dvorak may be viewed here:

DGS Fine Arts Blog

Jaws Pool Party

Members of the DGN Band, Choir and Orchestra gathered on Saturday evening for the Music Team's semi-annual "Jaws Night Pool Party."  If you've never done it before, watching the movie Jaws - while floating in a dimly lit pool - adds a new dimension to the experience!

The Fine Arts Department thanks the Athletic Department, and specifically Ms. Busse, for the use of the pool and their support in arranging the event.  A special thanks is also extended to the CMG staff for their extra weekend help.

Congrats to Andrew Zahn - DGN Pi Day Record

Congrats to band member Andrew Zahn on shattering his own school "Pi Day" record (1,123 digits), and reciting 2,010 digits from memory!

Friday, in band class, the members of Wind Ensemble chanted ...

"3 - point - 1 - 4 - 1 - 5 - 9 ... Andrew Zahn is Ultra Fine!"

DGN Bands to be highlighted on WGN Radio

As a part of WGN-Radio's "Hometown Voices Tour," six members of the DGN Band will be featured on Friday morning, March 12.  WGN morning host Greg Jarrett, and the Morning Show team, will be broadcasting live from Ballydoyle's in downtown Downers Grove from 5 a.m. - 9 a.m.

WGN-Radio contacted the DGN Bands to participate in part because of the band's recent invitation to march in the 2011 London New Year's Day Parade.

While the timing of the show is subject to change, the band is currently slated to be featured between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.

WGN Radio may be found at 720 AM on your radio.  You may listen to "live streaming" through the station's website:

http://www.wgnradio.com/about/listen/

Downers Grove North Musicians Find Solo Success!

Downers Grove North High School student musicians participated in the Illinois High School Association State Solo and Ensemble Contest on March 6, 2010.

Forty-two events from Downers Grove North High School received a Division I rating of SUPERIOR.  A Division I score is categorized as “A Superior Performance – outstanding in nearly every detail.”  In addition, forty-eight events from Downers Grove North High School received a Division II rating of OUTSTANDING.  A Division II score is categorized as “An excellent performance – only minor defects.”

“Preparing for a Solo and Ensemble contest is a great opportunity for our students to express their individualism as soloists and to develop team-work skills with small ensembles,” said Brayer Teague, Fine Arts Department Chair at North High.  “We’re very proud of all our students who entered the state contest this year.  They did a terrific job representing North High with their musicianship.”

One North High event received a “Best of Day” Award.  Clarinet soloist Marie Kirkegaard was recognized by judges to be the most outstanding performer of the day in her performance venue. 

The following North High Music Events received a “Division I—Superior” rating.

Solos

• Samantha Barry - Female Voice
• Cameron Box - Violin
• Shauna Bracken -  Trumpet
• Brandon Broholm -  Tuba
• Erick Burkiewicz - Multiple Percussion
• Tristan Burnham - Violin
• Devin Collett - Female Voice
• Carrah Demos - Female Voice
• Lauren DePaz - Violin
• Erin Elgass -  E-Flat Alto Sax.
• Joe Garcia - Euphonium
• Eileen Grogan - Female Voice
• Kevin Gupana -  Oboe
• Caroline Hlohowskyj – Trumpet
• Michelle Hsu - Marimba
• Kaitlin Jeffries - Female Voice
• Alison Johnson - Female Voice
• Julie Katrenak -  French Horn
• Kirsten Keller - Flute
• Marie Kirkegaard - B-Flat Clarinet
• Jaclyn Kothanek - Female Voice
• Katie Krainc - Violin
• Catie Krygeris - Female Voice
• Jenny Luby - Female Voice
• Meghan Lyda - Cello
• Jon Parthun - Marimba
• Madeline Poortinga - Violin
• Arturo Rey - Male Voice
• Kirsten Rush - Female Voice
• Emma Sassano - Marimba
• Josh Smith - Male Voice
• Julia Stasevicius - Female Voice
• Caroline Sterr - Female Voice
• Isaac Stevenson - Multiple Percussion
• James Tandaric - Violin
• Emily Temple-Wood – Marimba
• Mike Walser -  E-Flat Alto Sax.
• Hannah Young – Harp

Ensembles

• Saxophone Ensemble: Joe DePeder, Mike Walser, Josh Williams, Andrew Zahn
• Mixed Brass Ensemble: Brandon Broholm, Caroline Hlohowskyj, Perry Martin, Peter Ralph, Bryn Sitkiewicz
• String Ensemble: Lauren Kovanko, Katie Krainc, Madeline Poortinga, Erin Portman
• Treble Ensemble: Devin Collett, Kirsten Rush

District 99 Vocal Honors Recital

Congratulations to all of the vocalists from DGN and DGS who performed beautifully on this evening's District 99 Vocal Honors Recital.

Winter Guard - State Compeition

Congratulations to the members of North High's Winter Guard on their outstanding performances at the State Contest this weekend.  The team placed 6th in the State in the Lyrical Flag category and 5th in the Tall Flag category.  The team also earned 92 points (out of a possible 100) for each routine which was a team best for the season.  Congratulations to all of the team members on a terrific season!

DGN Hosts State Solo & Ensemble Contest

Congratulations and thank you to all of the DGN student musicians,
parents and volunteers who made the 2010 IHSA State Solo & Ensemble
Contest a big success!

Choirs Perform in "Spring Festival Concert"

Congratulations to the members of the DGN Choirs on a very musical
performance tonight!

Two D99 Musicians Finalists for CYSO Compeitition

Two District 99 musicians (Michael Rau - DGS; Isaac Stevenson - DGN) have earned the distinction of being named finalists for the prestigious Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition.  Michael and Isaac are two of only seven finalists selected to advance from the heavily competitive preliminary auditions.

The finals are open to the public and will be held this Wednesday, March 3, in Curtiss Hall (10th floor) of the Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago.

6:30pm - Doors open
6:45-9:00pm - Competition
9:15pm - Awards

All are welcome to attend and hear these talented young musicians perform in the final round of competition!

• Isaac Stevenson, Schwanter - Percussion Concerto
• Michaela Wellems, Vieuxtemps - Violin Concerto No.4 in D Minor, op.31
• Ben Manis, Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B Minor, op.104
• Christine Murphy, Lieberman - Concerto for Flute
• Stephanie Block, Stamitz - Concerto for Viola
• Michael Rau, Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D major, op.35
• Ryan Zerna, Nielsen - Flute Concerto

Participants will compete for a chance to perform with CYSO's Symphony Orchestra at Orchestra Hall on Sunday, November 21, 2010.

DGN Choirs in MN

Congratulations to the DGN Choirs on a wonderful tour!

Working with Dr. Tim Peter at Luther College:

Working with Dr. Eugene Rogers at Macalester College: