Violinist with Baltimore Symphony Directs Wheaton High School Orchestra
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) Assistant Principal Violist Christian Colberg will direct the Wheaton High School Philharmonic Orchestra’s Winter Concert on Thursday, December 17, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Wheaton High School as part of a continuing partnership among the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Strathmore, Wheaton High School and A. Mario Loiederman Middle School.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Strathmore is partnering with Wheaton High School and Loiederman Middle School throughout the 2009–2010 academic year in order to raise the musical learning and experience of students participating in the orchestra programs at both schools. In collaboration with the music faculty, selected BSO musicians provide on-site mentoring, focusing on the orchestra as a unit with emphasis on developing and refining rehearsal techniques and performance skills. A key component of the program is the expectation that the skills learned by the Wheaton High School Philharmonic Orchestra will serve as a model for the Loiederman Middle School music students, and thereby enhance the prospects that Loiederman students will consider Wheaton as an option for their continuing musical education.

BSO violist Christian Colberg serves as the primary program mentor. Aside from conducting the Wheaton orchestra in its Winter Concert, he and other BSO musicians will lead eight master classes over the course of the year at both schools. The partnership was initiated in September when members of the Wheaton orchestra traveled to Baltimore to sit onstage and observe a BSO rehearsal at Meyerhoff Hall and visit with both Maestra Marin Alsop and Mr. Colberg.

Whitman High School Students Sing with the Washington Chorus
The Walt Whitman High School Chorus, under the direction of Jeffrey Davidson, has been invited to perform with the Washington Chorus in the popular Candlelight Concerts at the Kennedy Center and Strathmore. The students will perform with the Grammy Award-winning adult chorus and also will present three musical selections on their own.

The concerts will be performed on:

Saturday, Dec. 19—1:00 (Kennedy Center)
Monday, Dec. 21—7:00 (Kennedy Center)
Tuesday, Dec. 22—7:00 (Kennedy Center)
Wednesday, Dec. 23—7:30 (Strathmore)

Tickets are required and can be purchased through the concert sites.

Walter Johnson High School Students Sing with the Stars
A group of 30 Walter Johnson High School choral students, along with 12 choral alumni, participated in the Christmas in Washington show, which aired on TNT on Dec. 20.

This year's show included performances by Neil Diamond, Usher, Mary J Blige, Sugarland and Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were in the audience and also participated.