Soloists and Ensembles Set a High Bar at State Music Contests

Members of the Chamber Ensemble form the La Lumiere “LL” symbol with their hands after earning a gold rating at the ISSMA State Solo and Ensemble contest in Indianapolis on February 23, 2019. (Left to right: Oliver Gnaedinger ’21, Brenna Hudson ’20, Quentin Funderburg ’21, Nicholas Gnaedinger ’19, Brad Poore, Music Director, Hongkai “Donny” Lou ’20, Dingwei “Martin” Ma ’22)

La Lumiere School music students participated in the ISSMA (Indiana State School Music Association) Solo and Ensemble contest on both the district and state levels this past January and February, earning several top ratings at both events.

This was the first year that the La Lumiere Chamber Ensemble attempted to qualify for the State Solo and Ensemble contest. The group came away with a gold rating at State for their performance of J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, arranged for violins, winds, and keyboard, marking an important milestone for the school’s instrumental music program.

The La Lumiere Concert Choir also qualified for the State Solo and Ensemble contest and received a silver rating for their performance of “Stars I Shall Find,” by Victor C. Johnson.

At the district level, the La Lumiere Chamber Ensemble and Concert Choir each received gold ratings for their performances of the same pieces.

Members of the La Lumiere School Concert Choir pose at the ISSMA State Solo and Ensemble contest on February 16, 2019 in Indianapolis. They earned a silver rating for their performance. (Left to right: Sara Russell ’22, Lily Fournier ’21, Esther Fielder ’21, Zihan “Coco” Sun ’21, Shuning “Gladys” Zhang ’21, Yue “Winnie” Liang ’20, Brad Poore, Music Director, Bochun “Bill” Guo ’19, Emma Perez ’22, Elena Alick ’20, Charlotte Visconsi ’21)

Three La Lumiere students also qualified for the ISSMA State Solo and Ensemble contest in Indianapolis as soloists. Quentin Funderburg, a sophomore from Chesterton, IN, received a gold rating at both the district and state levels for his performance of the second movement of Paul Hindemith’s Oboe Sonata. Bochun “Bill” Guo, a senior from Jinan City, China, received a gold rating at both district and state for his vocal performance of the song “The Call,” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Yue “Winnie” Liang, a junior from Guangzhou, China, received a gold rating at the district event for her vocal performance of “Homeward Bound,” by Marta Keen and a silver rating for her performance of the same song at the state level. 

Brad Poore, the director of La Lumiere School’s music program, noted, “Participating in the ISSMA Solo and Ensemble events is always a time of growth for the students who participate in our music ensembles. The contests provide a benchmark for each ensemble and soloist to celebrate the progress they have made and to hear constructive feedback on what they can do to become more proficient as musical artists and performers.”

Besides participation in ISSMA, the music program at La Lumiere offers students many different formal and informal performance venues, including four Fine Arts Friday events per year, an annual Christmas concert, spring musical theater, an annual talent show, and opportunities to participate in liturgical music as part of students’ exploration of faith. Music classes offered include Music Appreciation, Concert Choir, Jazz Band, and AP Music Theory. After school music activities include Chamber Ensemble and Musical Theater.

For more information on music at La Lumiere, contact Brad Poore, Music Director, at bpoore@lalumiere.org.