Santa Monica High Band to Play in Europe
The Santa Monica High School Symphony Orchestra will leave for Spain next week to perform in a series of international music festivals.
The 83-member group will first play at the International Festival of Youth Orchestras in Valencia. From there, they will travel to other cities in Spain to perform in festivals in which professional musicians play.
The invitations themselves are an honor, said Jeff Edmons, director and conductor of the high school orchestra.
“High school ensembles are not usually invited to play in festivals like these,” said Edmons. “Usually the students come from national youth orchestras.”
The orchestra has been practicing for five hours a day for the past few weeks in preparation for the two-week trip. A bon voyage concert at Santa Monica High School is scheduled for Monday evening.
Santa Monica High first was invited to play in the International Festival of Youth Orchestras in 1994 after organizers heard an audition tape that the school submitted.
“The [festival organizers] were pleased with our performance and the way the audience responded to our group,” Edmons said.
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