Miss hearing beautiful orchestral arrangements and being serenaded by the harmony of wind and strings? Fear not, Orchestra is back and better than ever. Orchestra 1, 2, and Symphony Orchestra have been busy getting ready and practicing hard for their two major events in the month of February: the Vertical Concert and the annual Orchestra Benefit Dinner.

Orchestra’s Vertical Concert will be held on Thursday, Feb. 23. The concert will run from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the PAC. Tickets will be sold at $5 each. The Vertical Concert will feature the three orchestras from Dana, First Avenue, and Foothills Middle School as well as AHS’ widely acclaimed Symphony Orchestra. The concert will feature Mendelssohn’s 5th Symphony along with several movements from Elgar’s Enigma Variations as performed by Symphony Orchestra, conducted by directors Mr. Forbes and Ms. Chen.

The 23rd annual Orchestra Benefit Dinner is the second event in Orchestra’s February lineup. The fundraising event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Arcadia Masonic Center. The formal attire dinner is a celebration of the 60-year tradition of excellence proudly upheld by both Orchestra and AHS’ PA program as a whole. The “Music Awards” themed celebration will include a delicious catered dinner, a silent auction, awards, and of course, entertainment featuring various string ensembles from AHS’ 300-strong Orchestra 1, 2 and 3. Guests will also be treated to a musical performance by the incredibly talented keyboardist, singer-songwriter, arranger, and producer Bill Cantos, who has released six solo CDs and toured and recorded with stars such as Phil Collins, Elton John, Leon Russell, Alan Bergman, and Lisa Ono. Ticket prices are $65 for premium seating and $55 for reserved seating. Proceeds from the benefit dinner will help provide for musical instruments, supplies, coaching, and other orchestra necessities, as will funds generated from the program book ads, benefactor donations, and silent auction donations such as instruments, electronics, tickets, and gift certificates.

All the string ensembles have been working hard to pull off these two spectacular nights, so make sure to buy your tickets and show your support at the concert and dinner. See you there!