D99 Music Tour Departs for Europe

Students and staff associated with the District 99 Orchestra departed this morning for a two-week tour of Europe, focusing on the ongoing music and cultural exchange between the Beitigheim-Bissingen, Germany Musikschule and District 99. Although the weather provided rain showers, the attitudes and energy coming from the student musicians was balmy indeed.

You can follow the tour from the official Blog:

http://d99orchestragermanyspain.blogspot.com/

Congratulations Class of 2010!

The faculty and staff of the Fine Arts Department wishes a most sincere and heartfelt 'Congratulations' to the Class of 2010!

Alma Mater at Honors Convocation

Thank you Office Assistants!

Thank you to our fabulous Office Assistants this year!

D99 Orchestra Spring Concert

Congratulations to the members of the District 99 Concert Orchestra and Symphonic Orchestra for a soncially stunning performance to conclude the 2009-2010 school year. Both ensembles played challenging repertoire with musicianship and high craftsmanship. In addition to featuring DGN senior soloists Chloe Burnham and Rudy Rendek, the ensemble performed Brahms' challenging Academic Festival Overture. Great work D99 orchestra students - we are proud of you all!

Jazz In The Park

Congratulations to the DGN and DGS jazz bands for a terrific
performance this evening in Fishel Park.

Preparing for Final Orchestra Concert

Members of the District 99 Orchestra are rehearsing today for
Wednesday night's Orchestra concert. Featured Senior Soloists will
include Chloe Burnham & Rudy Rendek (pictured).

Band Banquet Tonight

The 2010 Band Banquet is tonight at the historic Willowbrook
Ballroom. We are looking forward to celebrating with nearly 400
members of the Band family!

Jazz In The Park Prep

The D99 All Star Big Band, comprised of seniors from DGN & DGS, met
this morning at 6:45 AM to prepare for next Tuesday night's concert at
Fishel Park.

Don't miss this great band next week. Tuesday, May 25, 6:30 PM at
Fishel Park in downtown Downers Grove.

Graduation Concert

Congratulations to the members of the A Cappella Choir and the Wind
Ensemble on a beautifully performed 'Graduation Concert.' A special
congratulations is extended to the Class of 2010. Thank you, seniors,
for your hard work and dedication to the arts at North High!

Tuning Up for a World Premiere

The members of the Wind Ensemble worked with composer Don Owens after school today in preparation for tomorrow night's 'Graduation Concert.'  The Wind Ensemble will present the World Premiere performance of Triple Set (2010), a 22 minute, three-movement work that features three solo percussion 'sets' - and harp - along with the full forces of the contemporary wind band.

"Working with a composer is alway exciting, but having the chance to premiere an original composition that was written especially for this group of students is a wonderful opportunity for the members of the Wind Ensemble," said Fine Arts Department Chairperson Brayer Teague.

Featured soloists in the triple-concerto include Michelle Hsu (sophomore), Emma Sassano (senior) and Isaac Stevenson (junior).  The solo harp part will be performed by Hannah Young (sophomore).  Each of these four students have been working directly with the composer for over six months in preparation for the premiere.

"I've shown the musical score to colleagues all over the world, and the reaction is similar each time someone looks at the music.  They say, 'I can't believe a high school ensemble can play it," mused composer Don Owens as he addressed the musicians on stage during the final dress rehearsal.  "You have my deepest admiration and respect for all the time and energy you have put into realizing this music."

The Graduation Concert will be held on Thursday, May 20, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. in the Clarence Johnson Auditorium of North High.

Class of 2010 Art Exhibition

Visual artists from the Class of 2010 are prominently featured this week in the Main St. Lobby of North High.  Community members are invited to view and celebrate the many accomplishments of these dedicated students.

The Rip Chords Visit DGN

The Rip Chords from the University of Illinois performed today for
members of the DGN Choirs.

The Rip Chords are the premier women's a cappella group at the
University of Illinois. Brought together in 1992 by their love for a
cappella music, this evolving group of ambitious ladies has not
stopped captivating audiences since.

Graduation Concert this Thursday!

The end of the school year is so very close. The Prom is in your rear-view mirror, and the band can be heard rehearsing 'Pomp and Circumstance' down the hallway. Soon the Class of 2010 will march through Commencement in their flowing purple and white gowns. But BEFORE we get ahead of ourselves, let's not forget the annual DGN "Graduation Concert," featuring the members of the A Cappella Choir and the Wind Ensemble!

The Graduation Concert will be held this Thursday, May 20, at 7 PM in the Clarence Johnson Auditorium. Come hear the amazing sounds of the A Cappella Choir and the Wind Ensemble as we honor the Class of 2010. The program will feature several special musical highlights, including senior soloist Joe Garcia, the World Premiere of a special composition written especially for the North High Bands and guest-conducted by composer Don Owens, and an exciting performance of the powerful "Sinfonia Voci" which was composed to honor the students and faculty of Plainfield High School following the tornado that leveled that school twenty years ago this spring.

You won't want to miss this opportunity to 'send off' the Class of 2010! See you Thursday night at the Graduation Concert!

Choir Recognition Dinner & Awards

This evening the DGN Choirs paused to celebrate a wonderful year of
music making in our community.

A special congrats goes out to the Class of 2010, as well as all the
family members who performed with the "Generations Choir."

Choral Showcase a Dazzling Success

Congratulations to the members of the DGN Choirs for a fantastic 2010 Choral Showcase.  

"Not Your Parents' Disney" featured music from the newest Disney and Pixar films, and engaged the musical sensibilities of a packed auditorium at North High this evening.

A slide show of production images may be found here.

A video of the finale may be found here.

"Not Your Parents' Disney!"

Members of the DGN Choirs are preparing tonight for the 2010 Choral
Showcase: "Not Your Parent's Disney!"

You won't want to miss this terrific musical event on Tuesday, May
11th. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the show begins at 7:00 PM in the
Clarence Johnson Auditorium.

May Band Concert a Sonic Success!

Congratulations to the members of the DGN Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Symphonic Band Percussion Ensemble, and members of the Chamber Winds for an outstanding concert this evening!

Artists honored at Fremd 4x5 Show

Fremd High School sponsors an annual "4 x 5" art show, in which every piece entered must not exceed 4 inches by 5 inches in width and length. The 2010 award winners have been announced and North High is well represented :

Relief
Nicole Irwin - 1st Place


Drawing
Marie Homolkova - 2nd Place and two Honorable Mention awards
Bernadette Calvino - Honorable Mention
Elizabeth Havenga - Honorable Mention


Photography
Heather McNeil - Honorable Mention

A reception for award winners will take place on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 7:30 PM in the cafeteria at William Fremd High School. For more infomration, go to: http://www.fhs.d211.org/

There's an 'App' for that!

Got a 'Smart Phone?'  We've developed an App to help you stay connected to the Fine Arts at DGN.

Navigate to the following web address from your iPhone or Android phone's browser, and save to your Home Screen.

http://m.wbx.me/dgn-fine-arts

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.