(Newswire.net — April 23, 2015) Singapore, Singapore — The Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS), held their annual three-day Honor Band and Orchestra Festival March 19-21 at Singapore American School. Celebrating its 40th year, the festival had two groups of international-class instrumentalists combine for the inaugural performance of the AMIS Symphonic Orchestra.
To participate in the highly competitive festival, students submitted auditions through their school music teacher and were required to be active members of their school’s ensembles. Two hundred of the finest high school musicians in the world, including 26 Singapore American School students, participated in the festival.
The AMIS Honor Band performed four pieces at the festival’s concert, finishing with the First Suite in Eb by Gustav Holst. The AMIS Honor Orchestra followed with String Quartet No. 8 by Dmitri Shostakovich, arr. Drew, and Irish Tune from County Derry by Percy Grainger. As the finale, designated members of the band selected by a listening committee played March Slave by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Conductors at this year’s festival were James Tapia of Syracuse University and Jeffrey Grogan of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
Grogan, the orchestra guest conductor, leads a variety of concerts each season for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and has conducted concerts with Little Orchestra Society of New York, Adelphi Chamber Orchestra and the New York Concerti Sinfonietta.
Tapia, the band guest conductor, works as associate professor of music and director of orchestral activities for the Setnor School of Music. He conducts for a number of university groups including the Syracuse Summer Festival Orchestra, Central Winds, and the Syracuse Youth Orchestra.
AMIS held its first concert in 1975 at The American School in London, making this year’s festival the 40th anniversary for AMIS’ first and oldest ensemble. The first Honor Orchestra Festival was held in 1990, but did not come under AMIS leadership until 2006. AMIS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to excellence in music education. Their aim is to develop students’ knowledge and appreciation of music, promote global perspectives and inspire high musical standards.
The various festivals organized by AMIS, include those for High School Honor Choir, European Middle School Honor Bands, Honor Jazz Festival and Jazz Skills Workshop. The festivals support the music programs in schools whose primary purpose is to serve expatriate children in various locations around the world.
For more information, visit http://amis-online.org
About Singapore American School
Singapore American School (SAS) is an independent, non-profit, coeducational, college preparatory day school offering an American curriculum with an international perspective for students in preschool through grade 12. SAS has the largest Advanced Placement program outside of the United States, is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in the U.S., and offers the American High School Diploma at the senior level. Established in 1956, the school primarily serves the American and international expatriate communities of Singapore.