by Felicia Yang, President, Norcross High School Orchestra Program

Norcross High School prides itself in having not only some of the best academic and athletic programs in the state, but also an excellent fine arts department.

The Norcross High School Orchestra Program consistently upholds a superior standard of performance, being recognized as the Best Public High School Orchestra in the nation at the American String Teachers’ Association Conference in Kansas City, MO in 2006. Subsequent to this accomplishment, the Norcross Orchestra was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in the spring of 2007.

Under directors Juana Alzaga and Allison Bates, the orchestras of varied experience and ability perform many times a year in the Norcross auditorium as well as at various venues within the community, making itself well-known as an organization which contributes beautiful music wherever it may be desired. Members of Norcross Orchestras have performed at locations including North Point Mall, Thrasher Park, the Governor's Mansion, the 1818 Club, Lilburn Rehabilitation Center, and the Georgia Aquarium.

In addition, individual students have proven themselves as accomplished and impressive assets to the program. The Orchestra Program has consistently received Superior ratings at the Georgia Music Educators Association Large Group Performance Evaluation Festival since 1990. Year after year, Norcross is the source of many members of the GMEA All-State Orchestra. A number of our students are also members of extracurricular youth orchestras around the city, most notably, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Buckhead Youth Orchestra and the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony. Alumni of the Norcross Orchestra program have gone on to receive numerous awards and scholarships, and many continue to study music at prestigious schools of music such as Boston University, Indiana University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Georgia.

As a member of the Norcross Orchestra, I value all of the priceless opportunities it has provided to me. Beyond the musical education and the performance experience, the presence of orchestra in my day allows me to take a deep breath, a break, from the typical demands of school.

In the future, the Norcross High School Orchestra has plans to establish stronger connections with music programs in our feeder schools in hopes of strengthening our program while encouraging participation and providing a natural transition for future students. We plan to travel to Vienna, Austria for the 200th anniversary of the death of Franz Joseph Haydn in the summer of 2009. More importantly, however, is the hope that a widespread appreciation, support and love for music can flourish in our community.