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AHS Students Perform at Carnegie Hall

March 17, 2025

Janaesa Macasaet || STAFF WRITER

Junior Ana Murray and sophomore Armand Omelko performed at Carnegie Hall on February 15. Murray performed Czardas by Vittorio Monti on violin, while Omelko performed Chopin’s Prelude in E Minor on piano.

Both musicians have played their respective instruments from a young age, with Murray on the violin and Omelko playing the piano. The two were encouraged by their outside-of-school music teachers to join the Crescendo International Competition and aim for the prestigious venue. For Murray, this performance was her third at Carnegie and fourth competition overall. Omelko, on the other hand, made his debut at Carnegie.

“My violin teacher…first got me into competitions when I was in eighth grade. At the time, I didn’t think I’d get anything. [I got] first place, and since then she’s just been motivating me and helping me get to the point where I am now,” said Murray. She has competed in Little Mozart Music Competitions as well as the Crescendo International Competition since then.

This year, she began working on her piece in the spring of 2024, practicing throughout the summer and fall, and submitted the recording in December. For all Carnegie Hall auditions, a board of musicians decides who goes forward in the process. The first and second place in the region from these auditions perform.

“In terms of playing,…it’s going to be difficult because I have to keep improving…There’s never really a point where I can stop improving,” Murray said. “So it definitely becomes a mental struggle, whether or not it’s good enough. [Keeping up with] all my other extracurriculars…on top of this, while also trying to improve in a really short amount of time, is difficult.”

Omelko’s journey to Carnegie Hall began similarly, with his piano teacher introducing him to the opportunity. After winning first place in the Crescendo International Competition, he earned his spot on stage—this was his most significant performance to date.

Both students partake in numerous musical activities at AHS. Omelko plays brass baritone for Marching Band, baritone saxophone for Jazz Band, and cello for Orchestra. Murray has been a show choir member for the past three years, along with taking Chamber Choir, Orchestra, and a Music Production class.

Band director Jeffrey Kuchan noted Omelko’s drive for music, saying, “I have not taught Armand any piano whatsoever, so it’s very clear that he exudes a desire to make music, a passion, and whenever he picks up a new instrument, he takes that energy and that creativity and applies it.”

Omelko believes music has benefitted him not just as a performer but also as a person. “It gave me a passion… It teaches me discipline, you know—practice, commitment, and overall it also helped me get into certain communities especially ensembles like Orchestra, Band, those are communities I value,” said Omelko.

Many AHS students participate in musical activities outside of school, which AHS teachers agree enhances their skills as performers and musicians.

“The more different experiences you collect, it shapes you as a musician…you have that nuance to kind of adapt and hear things differently,” said Kuchan. “Everything is an experiment in life, so you can glean or pull from those experiences, you can learn about music, you can learn about yourself…. So I think that it’s valuable to seek out those opportunities.”

Show Choir Director Dr. Lauren Peithmann echoed this idea. “I think students who love music here in our program, many of them also do activities outside of school, whether it’s private lessons or community theater or singing in a choir outside of a building, and I think anyone who’s really interested in pursuing music for a career should look at as many opportunities as they can.”

While Omelko and Murray plan to continue pursuing musical endeavors in the future, their career aspirations stray from the realm of music. Murray aims to pursue nursing while Omelko plans to work in international relations. Still, they stay dedicated to their love for music.

Every Andover Band Plays At All Bands Night

May 6, 2024

By Xander MacKay-Kao
STAFF WRITER

Andover High School hosted All Bands Night on March 28, and every Andover public school band got a chance to perform at the Collins Center.

All Bands Night is an annual concert where public schools in Andover get to have their bands perform a selection from their repertoire. It’s divided into two concerts: One for elementary school and part of middle school, and one for the other part of middle school and high school. Audience members are filtered out in the middle in order to allow enough space for all of the parents of each group. This year the concert spanned two and a half hours, giving every band ensemble a chance to perform at least one song, something that hasn’t consistently been true in years prior.

Senior and saxophonist Alex You said, “It’s an event where the high schoolers get to see their growth as musicians compared to where we came from.”

Not everyone had an experience reflective of the atmosphere of positivity surrounding the event. One senior and trombonist Enrico Panzica said, “It was the [worst] All Bands Night I’ve ever been to. I [messed] up in every single performance, and everyone else did too.”

Other students have mentioned that some call times were pretty intense, effectively requiring students to be at the building from after school to the end of the event at around 9:30.

Articles Arts Events

Aspiring Musicians of AHS Travel to NYC

January 25, 2024

By Samantha Sun
STAFF WRITER

The AHS chorus, orchestra, and band students will compete in the Heritage Festival in New York City this April, from the 11 to the 14.

The four-day trip includes a grander scale performance and a cultural experience in New York. The New York Heritage Festival is held multiple times a year by WorldStrides, a trustworthy educational travel organization, and allows students to perform at Riverside Church in front of three nationally acclaimed adjudicators.

Each ensemble will have the chance to perform for a fifteen-minute time frame, have a mini-clinic with one of the adjudicators, watch other students perform, and receive a professional recording of their performance.

“We wanted to have an opportunity for our students to travel, compete, learn, and have a lot of fun,” said chorus director Lauren Peithmann. She participated in a similar festival in high school, “[It was] so important to my development as a musician and it inspired me,” Peithmann explained. She is looking forward to sharing this experience with her students.

STAFF PHOTO / Saarvi Deshwal
AHS band, orchestra, and chorus students practice for the Heritage Festival in New York City.

“It’s a cool thing to play for other people and not just for ourselves,” added band director Jeffery Kuchan. “It’s an important thing [to have] our identity as…the Andover community.” This is notably the first chorus, orchestra, and band field trip, and for a lot of students, this will be their first time performing outside of Andover.

Although the performance isn’t until spring, students are working hard and are confident in their abilities to represent AHS. “I’m going to shred on the bass clarinet!” exclaimed sophomore Tessa Helle, a band student who plays the clarinet. Their performance pieces are still undergoing preparations but they are excited to show off what they’ve been working on by the time April comes around.

Meghna Singh-Joglekar, a sophomore and orchestra student, added her input. “I think I’m most excited to perform and see what the judges are going to say.” With the large amount of time and effort students have been putting into their musical work, they are curious about the judge’s feedback and comments.

Lyric Bartleson, also a sophomore who is a part of the chorus added, “I think it’s just a really good experience to give us something besides a concert, something we can work hard for.” This opportunity helps push students to explore beyond the scope of what school ensembles provide and to watch what other ensembles have prepared.

Their performance and evaluation are top priorities, however, the cultural experience is just as important. On their way to New York, they plan to stop by Connecticut where the orchestra and chorus will visit Yale University in New Haven. The Band plans to visit the Hartt School of Music in West Hartford.

Then, they will get the chance to explore the places New York has to offer, such as Times Square, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, a Broadway show, a New York Philharmonic recital, restaurants, and much more.

To help those in need of financial aid and to overall lower the cost of the trip, Tri-M, the music honor society, collaborated to create a series of fundraisers. They sold butter braids which are sweet pastries, for their first fundraiser. Band, orchestra, and chorus students encouraged other AHS students to order these pastries to contribute to the fundraiser.

During the winter holidays, they held a Little Caesars fundraiser where people could order a pizza kit and order it to their house. In the spring, they plan to hold a mattress fundraiser where they are going to have a big expo for them in the West Middle cafeteria. Then perhaps a few restaurant profit shares where a percentage will go towards the trip.

“I strongly encourage everyone to check us out and support us,” said Kuchan.

The final evening they are in New York, there will be an awards ceremony with WorldStrides where all the high schools will gather. To end the night, they will “go on a cruise around Manhattan with dinner and dancing, a nice way to close up the trip,” concluded Peithmann.

Articles Arts

AHS Band Influences Lives

March 28, 2022

Dane Connor
STAFF WRITER

The Andover High School band has been around for many years and is a very important part of our school culture. Whether it be the marching band that plays in the football games or the concert bands that are spread throughout the year, it’s important for the students of AHS to get familiar with a few of the members behind the AHS band.

COURTESY PHOTO / Jeffery Kuchan
AHS Marching Band of fall 2021

Arjun Chandra, a junior at AHS, has been playing saxophone for many years in the band and found that it helped him meet many great people. “I feel I always have someone to talk to,” said Chandra.

Chandra described his favorite experiences of making music with the AHS band. “Making music with my closest friends is a lot of fun,” said Chandra. His favorite piece of music to play with his bandmates is a song called “Canzona” that he played during his freshman year of high school.

A junior at AHS, May Wallace has also been a part of the AHS band for many years and has found that it brings her a lot of positive energy.

Wallace described her future plans with the band and if she plans to continue her effort in music.

“I plan on continuing band for the rest of high school but I’m not sure for the future,” said Wallace.

COURTESY PHOTO / Jeffery Kuchan
Jeffery Kuchan, AHS band director

Andover High School band director Jeffery Kuchan is new to AHS this year and is looking forward to a productive year of music. Kuchan had been involved with some form of band for many years of his life and shares why he loves being in the band room so much. “Band has always been a home for me. It’s been a place where I can explore, imagine, and be creative,” said Kuchan.

Kuchan explains what piqued his interest in being the band director for AHS. He explains that the community of Andover has much to offer in terms of music ability and he is hoping to help many young musicians develop and grow. “I love working with students who are always asking the big questions: how, what, and why,” said Kuchan.

Kuchan has been able to experience many things because of his passion for band. In high school, he was able to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and has memories of performing with his friends in the band. “My strongest and oldest friendships were forged through band, and being involved in the arts has opened many doors throughout my life,” said Kuchan.

Kuchan has high hopes for the future of the AHS band and their potential to make music. His main goal is to help the group of musicians have the most successful and memorable high school band. He hopes to inspire the kids to continue spreading music. “I see a lot of hungry music students [here] eager to try new things,” said Kuchan.

COURTESY PHOTO / Jeffrey Kuchan
AHS Marching Band of fall 2021

Articles Arts Community

New Music Era Begins With Departure of Catherine Revetria

May 26, 2021

By Eliza Marcy

MANAGING EDITOR

How many people does it take to replace one AHS music teacher? Turns out, more than you might think.

After an eight-year run, Catherine Revetria left her numerous musical posts in early April after announcing her pregnancy and her plans to take care of herself and her family. She was the director of the high school’s band and orchestra, the remote instrumental program, the Golden Warrior Marching Band, Tri-M Music Honor Society, and all middle school bands.

Replacing her until the end of the school year are Dennis Shafer, Dr. Derek Voigt, Sean Walsh, and David Rice. Shafer, one of the school jazz band instructors, has taken over Revetria’s teaching assignments. Voigt, the middle school orchestra teacher, has assisted with the high school’s orchestra. Walsh, the Fine Arts Program Coordinator for Andover Public Schools, has been working with Tri-M students. Rice, the Assistant Marching Band Director, has stepped up to fill out the year and helped cheer on the varsity football team.

So that makes four men replacing one woman. Fierce!

Walsh told ANDOVERVIEW that the district is in the process of hiring permanent replacements and hope to have final candidates by the end of May for the 2021-2022 school year. In the Tri-M Honor Society, Walsh has overseen the annual Instrument Donation Drive and is currently planning to get the high school musicians over to the elementary schools this month to encourage fifth graders to continue their involvement icouldnn band and orchestra.

“We are [also] excited about new courses next year at AHS, including ‘Beginning Instruments’ and ‘Rock Ensembles,’ and looking to expand programs at elementary and middle school levels,” he said.

STAFF PHOTO / Eliza Marcy
Revetria née Hofius leading the Andover High School Marching Band.

No Regrets

Revetria came to AHS from Georgia and brought with her a fiery passion for music that she passed down to all her students. With no regrets about leaving AHS now, she told ANDOVERVIEW that she planned to return to teaching music one day when the time was right. But one of her greatest challenges over the years was, in fact, “time and the schedule.”

“Having a limited number of students signing up [for band] has always been tough,” she said. “The challenge is having this robust middle school program and then not being able to have the time to take a band class in high school. On the other hand, my greatest accomplishment here is the shift in the culture of the marching band. It used to be very ‘drum corp-centered’– people had to do push ups when they messed up. The culture shifted to be much friendlier and we doubled the membership. The younger and least experienced players felt more welcome and were lifted up to the rest of the group. We grew because of that. And finally, I’m also very proud of the transition of the orchestra from an after-school program to being in the school day. It’s small but mighty.”

She also told ANDOVERVIEW that she was very proud of her colleagues and working together with them to grow the middle school band so big that they can’t fit on the Collins Center stage anymore.

“We can’t even have All Bands Night anymore like we used to because there’s too many people in the audience and too many people on stage,” she said. “We maxed out the capacity even before COVID!”

In a letter from the Andover Band Association, President Matt Scully wrote to students and parents about his appreciation for Revetria.

“Catherine has been an inspiration to all of our children over the past eight years,” he said. “Whether in lessons for Elementary, or band and orchestra in Middle and High School, she’s been there with them teaching and cultivating their love for music in their early musical years. I wish her and her family all the best in the world.”

For now though, music students see Shafer– or Crazy Dennis as he’s affectionately called in jazz band– teaching high school band and orchestra each day, and all middle school bands (co-teaching with Kaitlyn Sicinski).

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with all the students, and it is a joy to be teaching in-person again,” he said. “I have enjoyed in particular with the orchestra/string students, as I have conducted orchestras in the past, but it has been a while.”

Shafer has three degrees in Saxophone Performance. He told ANDOVERVIEW that he has a bachelor’s in Music (BM) from Boston Conservatory (2004), a Diplôme d’Etudes Musicales (DEM) with prize in saxophone from the Parisian Conservatory of Boulogne Billancourt in France, and an Artist Diploma (AD) from Longy School of Music which is next to Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“I thoroughly enjoy playing the saxophone, which I’ve worked on perfecting for 30 years, and I’ve almost got it,” he said. “Right now, I’m working on klezmer clarinet, however, [I’m getting some tips from Kaitlyn Sicinski about clarinet playing and from some other artists on Zoom and Youtube. Most of what I learn these days is from YouTube–and it’s free!”

All About Fun

What’s the most important thing Shafer wants to convey to AHS students in the short time he has with them? The most important thing is scales.

“If, by the time I leave here at the end of the year, every student can play all major scales (percussionists included, there are plenty of mallet instruments here), I would consider that a great success,” he said. “Scales unlock the kingdom for playing anything on any instrument. Right now, I’m learning the Freygish scale for klezmer, on clarinet the most popular key for that is E. So its E, F, G#, A, B, C, D, E–Try it! It’s lots of fun! It’s a major scale but sounds minor because of the augmented second in the beginning of the scale.”

In a letter to students in the band classes, Revetria wrote she was saddened to say goodbye as the community in Andover had been such a large part of her life the past eight years. Like Shafer, her parting words are all about sticking with music over the long haul.

“I am nothing but confident in the future of the music program in Andover,” she said. “The program’s growth that I have witnessed is immense and it will continue to grow in the years ahead. I am truly excited knowing how much music can, and will, enrich your lives if you stick with it. I have yet to meet someone who regrets the time they spent learning music—only people who regret giving it up. So keep playing!”