The symphony orchestra is scheduled to perform at the prestigious Midwest Clinic at the Chicago’s McCormick Place West from Dec. 15 to 19, according to orchestra director Soo Han. The Midwest Clinic is an international band and orchestra conference, held annually, and this marks the first time an orchestra at this school has been accepted to attend.

“A lot of publishers have been sending us music,” Han said. “We’re in the process of reading through a lot of pieces and selecting them for our performance which is difficult. It can be a really daunting task.”

Taylor Lampe, treasurer of the orchestra council, member of the symphony orchestra and junior said they have put a lot of dedication into preparing for the conference already.

“We’re working really hard,” Lampe said. “We got the hardest pieces during the summer so we can really get those down, and we have to play 11 or 12 songs, so we have a lot of work ahead of us too.”

According to their Web site midwestclinic.org, The Midwest Clinic is not a competition but a venue for educational purposes and improvement for students and educators. Regardless, the rigorous application process eliminates hundreds of orchestras a year in order to fill approximately 30 spots, no small feat according to Han.

“Getting invited to this is the crowning achievement for many orchestras,” Han said. “This is more important than winning the State championships or other prizes. This opportunity is beyond all those honors, and I’m really excited.” By Tracy Sun <[email protected]>