Allegedly, these streets are supposed to make you feel brand-new. But for the North Atlanta High School Orchestra, whose boundary-breaking talents have proven to be a long-standing constant, a quick four-day detour to the Big Apple has stood as just another cog in their perpetually turning wheel of showstopping opportunities (which is to say, maybe not “brand-new” brand-new). Shortly after a stellar performance at the 2024 Capital Orchestra Festival hosted at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., orchestra director Stephen Lawrence-Carroll received news that the North Atlanta’s Philharmonic and Chamber divisions, both of which previously auditioned for a spot to perform at the illustrious Carnegie Hall in New York City, would be one of four high school ensembles across the country to snag a position at their WorldStrides Instrumental Music Festival on March 30, 2025. Out of forty high schools, North Atlanta will be the only designate representing the state of Georgia, with some of their fellow contemporaries hailing from Florida, Iowa, and California. “This has definitely set a huge precedent for us,” said Lawrence-Carroll, “the 2025 cohort isn’t the first to see Carnegie, but they’ve invested so much time and effort to make this possible- they’re changemakers in their own way.”
The term “changemakers” might even be dusting the praise a little too modestly. Carnegie Hall stands as one of the nation’s oldest and most renowned concert halls; located in Midtown Manhattan, the venue has hosted a wild lineup of global icons, ranging from classical figureheads like Tchaikovsky and Mahler, to modern sensations like Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, and the Beatles. Uniquely praised for its prestige in classical music events, a trip to Carnegie, much less the chance to perform there, is considered a high-caliber class of “wow factor” reserved for only the best of the best music has to offer. “It’s definitely been really rewarding to work for,” said junior Eva Shade, “practicing has been a challenge because I have to keep up with all of my other commitments, but I know that we’ve all worked hard to get to this point and I’m super grateful.”
Unsurprisingly, the process hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. A trip like Carneige- in all of its dolled-up, ribbon-packaged glory- tends to come with a massive price tag (both literally and figuratively). Starting at the beginning of the year, musicians underwent the grueling process of trying out for the Philharmonic division, the orchestra’s most advanced sectional. Those selected would join the chamber orchestra, a small cohort of exceptional orchestra students made up primarily of upperclassmen, in practicing and selecting pieces for Carnegie. Along with having to pick prime material to perform, Lawrence-Carroll was tasked with organizing clinics, overtime practices, and conducting plenty of rehearsals to prepare his musicians. Another resounding concern was payment; New York is infamously expensive, and the ticket to Carnegie was no exception. Alongside individual room and board fees, musicians chartered three fundraising events and applied for a list of grants, raising around $56,000 to offset a total cost of almost $200,000. Andrew Oftedahl, a sophomore violinist who committed to raising 100% of his own payment, sold exactly 20 boxes of chocolates within the year and successfully financed his trip solely off of donations. “It was a difficult task for sure,” said Oftedahl, “but it was totally worth it. Carnegie is a big opportunity and I wasn’t going to let it go to waste.”
From D.C. to N.(Y).C., North Atlanta’s Orchestra has set some absurdly high bars for both themselves and their soon-to-be-successors! So to the NAHS Orchestral Department- congratulations (and get us a t-shirt)!
