On October 15 and 16, families were welcomed back to campus for the first time in two years with open arms. The Performing Arts Department showcased a special program for families featuring two musician’s solos, the Hotchkiss Orchestra, and a teaser of the school musical, Mamma Mia! in Elfers Hall.

Pianist Kenny Zhang ’22 kicked off the program with his rendition of Chopin’s Scherzo No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, followed by Noam Ginsparg ’22, who performed 3 Strophes sur le Nom de Sacher by Henri Dutilleux on the cello. The Hotchkiss Orchestra subsequently performed Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus Overture. Finally, as a preview for the musical, Tori Murray ’22 sang The Winner Takes it All, and a portion of the musical’s cast performed the song Waterloo from Mamma Mia!. Alana Dowdell ‘23 said, “ I loved the orchestra performance and the dancing for Mamma Mia! was awesome. Tori Murray’s singing was top tier, and because of this I am very excited for Mamma Mia! to premiere. My favorite song from the musical is Honey Honey and I’m really looking forward to Hotchkiss’ rendition of this piece.”

Boffi Lin ‘24, a violinist for the orchestra said, “From the start of the school year, we rehearsed biweekly altogether, and were expected to practice individually to work on minor details. Our conductor, Mr. Witkoswki was very encouraging during rehearsals and expected our full effort so improvement can be made. All in all, we collectively worked hard to create a beautiful outcome.”

Students and members of the school community can look forward to future piano and voice recitals, orchestra performances, and Mamma Mia!, which is to premiere in January 2022 in the renovated Walker Auditorium.