On Thursday, October 24th, Maine West had the pleasure of hosting all of the area elementary and middle school choir students at the annual Des Plaines Choral Festival! Students participated in workshops and rehearsals together during the day, which culminated in an evening concert performed together.
HERE is a folder full of pictures from the festival.
HERE is the concert program.
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During the school day, students participated in rehearsals and workshops, with a special highlight being our guest clinician, Dr. Diego Piedra, the conductor of the Valparaiso University Orchestra.
The evening concert allowed each separate ensemble to shine in the spotlight with a piece or two performed independently, and then culminated with a mega-orchestra performance with all students performing Mechanical Monsters by Randall Standridge.
Thank you to all of the students and families for coming to West to participate in this very special community event!
Thank you to directors Kristin Vaziri, Dion Morales, Dominique Radtke and Daniella Valdez for organizing the events!
HERE is a folder full of pictures from tonight's concert.
HERE is the concert program.
If you missed tonight's concert, please watch the livestream below:
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Opening night of the Maine West Fine Arts Department's production of Douglas Carter Beane’s Fairycakes was an absolute delight! From the play began, the students’ vibrant energy, comedic timing, and skillful delivery enchanted the audience, making for an unforgettable evening of theater.
The cast tackled Beane’s witty script with remarkable poise, bringing to life the whimsical world of mischievous fairies and their adventures. Their ability to balance the play’s clever humor with moments of heartfelt emotion showcased the depth of their talent. Each character was crafted with precision, ensuring that no moment on stage was wasted.
The technical elements were equally impressive. The set, designed to reflect the magical forest, transported the audience into the play’s enchanting realm. Costumes were colorful and imaginative, perfectly complementing the fairytale atmosphere. The lighting and sound added subtle, yet powerful, touches that enhanced the overall experience.
The students’ hard work and dedication were evident throughout the production. Their commitment to bringing Fairycakes to life resulted in a professional-level performance that left the audience in awe!
Bravo to all of the students involved in the Fairycakes production, and to director, David Harmon, tech director, Peter McManus, and costumer, Mya Figueroa on an extremely successful opening night!
HERE is the program for the production.
HERE are many more pictures from the opening night performance.
There are two additional performances of Fairycakes by Douglas Carter Beane:
October 18th at 7:00 P.M.
October 19th at 7:00 P.M.
All performances are in the Maine West High School Auditorium. Tickets are $7/students and $12/adults. Get your tickets in advance at bit.ly/MWBoxOffice (case-sensitive)
The Marching Warriors performed their show, Mad Romance, and the District 62 students joined the Marching Warriors in performance of the Warrior Fight Song.
Thank you to all of the students and directors for coming to Maine West to share the joy of music! We look forward to welcoming all of the future Warriors to the West Band!
Click HERE to learn more about the Maine West Band, and what to look forward to when you join us at West!
Click HERE to see many more pictures from the event!
Selection to the ILMEA district honors ensembles distinguishes these musicians as some of the best musicians in the region. It is also the result of many hours of practice on the extremely challenging audition material. The Fine Arts Department is extremely proud of these musicians.
We are proud to announce this year's group of musicians who earned placement into the District 7 ILMEA Honors Ensembles:
BAND
Aaron Nisius (12), Bassoon
CHOIR
Frances Dela Cruz (11), Soprano II
Irene Han (12), Soprano II
Cristopher Lawpattanapong (11), Bass I
On October 5th, the Maine West Marching Warriors hosted three visiting marching bands: Geneva High School Marching Vikings, Prairie Ridge High School Wolfpack Marching Band and Barrington High School Marching Broncos at the annual Maine West Marching Band Festival. The festival, organized by Maine West's director of bands, Mr. Bernie Gerstmayr, was created to offer a performance opportunity focusing on education and collaboration in a friendly, non-competitive environment that fosters musical and technical growth for area high school marching bands.
Each band performed their 2024 marching band show, and then participated in a workshop with top clinicians from around the Chicagoland area, who provided them with valuable feedback and tools to improve their craft.
Thank you to Mr. Gerstmayr for your vision and organization making tonight's event possible!
Thank you to all of the visiting band directors and marching band staff for preparing your ensembles so well and for all of your efforts that allowed them to be a part of this event!
Thank you to the student announcers, Carter Roper and Lianna Ritti, for keeping us informed and entertained!
A HUGE thank you to the many, many parent and student volunteers who helped tonight as Maine West Fine Arts Boosters volunteers! We could not have done this event without your support!
Many more pictures from the 2024 Maine West Marching Band Festival can be found HERE.
The program from the 2024 Maine West Marching Band Festival can be found HERE.
Geneva High School Marching Vikings, Directors: Neal Shipton & Riley Carter
Prairie Ridge High School Wolfpack Marching Band, Directors: Mary Kate Kuhne & Jeff Crylen
Barrington High School Marching Broncos, Director: Kevin Krivosik
Maine West High School Marching Warriors, Director: Bernie Gerstmayr
