Spring Concerts Take the Stage in the New APAC Theater

Hopkins musicians recently presented three evenings of phenomenal performances at their spring concerts, marking the Music Department’s first events held in the new Academic and Performing Arts Center theater.

On Tuesday, April 29, the Hopkins Choirs—including Concert Choir, Treble Choir, Jazz Choir, and Seventh and Eighth Grade Vocal Arts—showcased their harmonies. The program featured a wide range of genres, including Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell, Just the Two of Us by Bill Withers, and Talking to the Moon by Bruno Mars, among others.

The second evening of performances, held on Thursday, May 1, featured the Hopkins Orchestra, who demonstrated the results of a semester of dedicated practice. The concert also included the debut of Ensemble 1660, a new chamber group focused on music from the Baroque and Renaissance eras. Ensemble 1660 aims to become one of the few established high school Baroque music ensembles in the country—a nod to the fact that Hopkins was founded when Baroque music was reaching its zenith. At the spring concert, they performed Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 1 by Arcangelo Corelli. Other pieces performed by the Orchestra included Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, BWV 1050; Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92, as the finale.

The final concert took place on Friday, May 2, with the Hopkins Bands taking center stage. Several ensembles performed, including the Jazz Band, H Bop, the seventh and eighth grade instrumental ensembles, and the Concert Band. The evening concluded with a joint performance by the Jazz and Concert Bands of The Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi and Takarajima by Hirotaka Izumi. Other selections included Groovin’ Hard by Don Menza, Yes or No by Wayne Shorter, and Earthdance by Michael Sweeney.

Together, the three nights showcased both the talent of Hopkins students and the strength of the school’s music program.

Congratulations and thank you to all our student musicians and music directors—Bobby Smith, Erika Schroth, and Erik Elligers—for sharing your talents with the Hopkins community.