Oluwatomisin Falako

Directer Sarah Heuermann stands in front of the orchestra as they perform. Heuermann conducted the concert on Oct. 8 in the PAC.

The Ladue High School Orchestra held their first chamber concert on Oct. 8 in the high school’s PAC (Performing Arts Center), which featured the Chamber Orchestra and Ladue’s Strolling Strings. They were led by Orchestra Director, Sarah Heuermann, who has been teaching in Ladue for five years.

Ladue’s chamber orchestra is the top level of Ladue’s orchestra, ahead of the concert and symphonic groups. Also featured in the performance was the Strolling Strings, a group of high school students who act as musical ambassadors in the community. 

The students spent the first seven weeks of the school year preparing for this performance. Because of the short deadline for the performance, the students had to work hard to get all the practice they needed.

“I think we felt the pressure a little bit with it being such an early concert. But the students really, like all students here, thrive under stress,” Heuermann said. “It’s a bad way to put it, but when you put yourself under pressure, you kind of rise to the occasion.” 

Adam Ye (12) has been playing the violin since fourth grade. He is part of the Chamber orchestra and Strolling Strings, as well as the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. Ye used a mixture of individual practice and group rehearsals to prepare himself for the concert

“For ensemble music, it just takes a while for it to sink in,” Ye said. “I think having to learn the performance is pretty difficult, but I think it helps us learn faster.”

Despite the short timeframe to prepare, the performance was a success. Another member of the Chamber orchestra and Strolling Strings, Garon Agrawal (12), was pleased with the performance, but noted areas for improvement.

“Like most performances, there were hiccups leading up to it,” Agrawal said. “I know a lot of us were very worried about how it would go having a concert so early in the year, with not a lot of preparation time, and especially such difficult music. It was different.”

The orchestra will have its next performance Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. in the PAC.