Ronald Reagan High School Orchestra

Performer Details

Performer Bio Synopsis

Reagan High School is situated in the north central area of San Antonio, and celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. The community has a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, ranging from CEOs and doctors to daily wage workers. The demographics of our school reflect the diversity of our program: 35% white, 48% Hispanic, 8% Asian, with a variety of subpopulations filling out the remainder. Our Fine Arts programs enjoy an incredible amount of community support, with nearly 75% of the students in our programs studying privately, and 90%+ owning their own instruments. In addition to the wonderful support we receive from administration, all of our music programs are supported by booster organizations, which are registered as 501c3 corporations. The Reagan Orchestra Booster Club and Reagan Band Parents Association provide financial, organizational, and volunteer support to the directors and students. Our instrumental music programs are fed by two successful feeder middle schools, Barbara Bush and Jose Lopez. The Reagan Orchestra has 7 performing ensembles: 5 string orchestras meet daily over 6 class periods and two full orchestras meet outside of school hours. The program is led by Sixto Elizondo IV and Nathan Sharplin. Each ensemble is ability-based, with placement determined by audition in the prior academic year. Each string orchestra prepares five concert cycles annually, and approximately half of the enrolled members participate in Region and All-State Orchestra auditions, and Solo and Ensemble competition. All of the orchestra ensembles consistently earn Superior ratings at UIL events. The Reagan Orchestra performed at the 73rd Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, has been a Finalist in the TMEA Honor Orchestra competition, a Commended Ensemble in the Mark of Excellence National Orchestra Honors project, an Invited ensemble for the 2021 TMEA convention, and was awarded a Finalist Honorable Mention in the 2017 American Prize competition. The orchestra is frequently requested as a demonstration group for the annual TMEA convention. The Ronald Reagan Symphony Orchestra begins rehearsing in late November as marching season comes to a close. Members of the Reagan Wind Ensemble audition for seats in the RRSO, and the ensemble meets once per week for 2.5 hours. This is made possible through the cooperative collaboration of our band faculty, led by Brett Nelson and assisted by Tyler Estrada Simon and Paula Boothman. The RRSO annually performs three concert cycles including a Holiday Concert, UIL Evaluation, and our Spring Pops Concert. The ensemble also presents an annual Young People's Concert for approximately 1500 elementary and middle school students in our cluster. A second full orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra, begins rehearsing in January and prepares a program for the UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Evaluation. It is composed of the members of the junior varsity band and orchestra. Additionally, the Fine Arts Department works collaboratively to present a Choral Masterworks performance with the Choral department and RRSO every December, and a Broadway style musical each Spring. The Reagan Fine Arts Department strives to instill the importance of service to our community through supporting events in our middle and elementary school cluster, performing at senior living facilities, and hosting a minimum of four community service events annually. The Reagan Fine Arts programs have a longstanding tradition of excellence in performance, competition, and service.

Ronald Reagan High School Orchestra

Conductor's Bio

TBD

Additional Directors

Brett Nelson

Nathan Sharplin