Carmel High School sophomore to appear with Honors String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall

0

Carmel High School sophomore Srikrishna Ganeshan has been given a rare opportunity.

He has been selected for the 2022 High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. Ganeshan will play the viola in February with the Honors String Orchestra. Participation in one of the five honors ensembles is limited to the highest-rated high school performers.

“I am really excited to be performing at Carnegie Hall with people from around the world,” Ganeshan said. “Two years back, in my eighth grade, Junior Honors performance at Carnegie Hall got canceled due to COVID. So, my expectations are heightened, and I am anticipating having fun playing with talented musicians.

“I am also excited to experience New York and make memories.”

The finalists will be in New York City for five days in February. They will have the opportunity to learn from world-renowned conductors, work with other finalists and get a taste of New York City. Two performances, an Honors Instrumental Performance and Honors Choral Performance, will take place Feb. 5-6. Both shows are open to the public. 

Ganeshan said he looks forward to meeting new people and gain experience at the same time.

“Considering that people will be visiting from around the world, it will be especially interesting to learn about their backgrounds and how their lives vary from mine in the U.S.,” Ganeshan said. “I am also generally talkative and outgoing, so talking with people I’m not too familiar with will be fun.”

The audition for the Honors Performance Series was virtual in early 2021. Ganeshan was selected after a review by the Honors Selection Board.

“We were given two audition pieces, and I had to record the video at a position where the judges could see how I held my viola and bow,” Ganeshan said.

Ganeshan switched from playing piano to viola in sixth grade. He said he chose the viola specifically because the stringed instrument’s range of notes is lower than the violin.

“I really like how intricate the instrument is and how expressive that someone can be while playing,” Ganeshan said. “It also requires some multitasking, as you must use your right hand to control the bow and left hand to change the notes. The expressiveness, along with the difficulty, makes the instrument more enticing to learn.

For more, visit honorsperformance.org.

Share.