A string quartet performs in the gazebo before the concert on opening night as a full house strolls the grounds. Students, faculty, and guests feast on a wide array of hors d'oeuvres, desserts, lemonade, and coffee.
Symphony session program director Ricardo Castañeda explains the daily program requirements for symphony students to audiences before the concert.
On opening night, Concertmaster Robert Hanford comes onstage. The audience welcomes Mr. Hanford with applause, also warmly recognizing the musicians in Birch Creek Symphony. (Photos by Heidi Hodges.)
Opening night for Percussion & Steel Band was July 4th, and the musicians were ready with patriotic marches, anthems, and even decorations! Thirty-two snare drums were lined up and ready as the audience came into the concert barn (above), and then...32 students marched in (below)! The cadence was barn-shaking.
At intermission, students perform in steel bands with faculty member and artist-in-residence Liam Teague, a native of Trinidad and Tobego.
In a "Caribbean Carnival" concert on July 6, students pair up to play the marimba. (Photo by Tony Hodges.)
The Student Lab Band has taken the stage on opening night of Big Band Jazz.
Program Director, faculty Academy Band Director and bass faculty member, Jeff Campbell, opens the concert with a conversation with the audience.
Birch Creek faculty member Anton Denner and Birch Creek Counselor and former student, Mike Truesdell are featured in two Benny Goodman classics.
Charlie Vernon, bass trombonist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, held a residency on campus. Mr. Vernon's initial seminar, "My Career with the CSO," was attended by all jazz students and free and open to the public.Mr. Vernon rehearsed during the day and performed at night with the Lab Band. Directly to his right is Amber, a 15-year-old musician who studied the trombone for 7 1/2 years and is a second-year student at Birch Creek.
The student Studio Band takes the stage on the last night of the first big band jazz session.
Student big bands perform every night before the faculty Academy Band, and student ensembles perform outside before each concert and during intermission.
Director Steve Sveum and the student big band in concert.
Students pictured below are members of Jazz II's "John Coltrane Combo" directed by faculty member David Bixler, shown in a pre-concert performance in the campus gazebo. (Photo credit: Tony Hodges.)
Bryan of Lake Forest, IL, performs on drums.
Chad, trombone student from Oswego, IL, performs a solo.
Tenor saxophone student David, Wilmette, IL, performs a solo.
