Juan Diego orchestra qualifies for state

JDCHS

+ Enlarge

The Juan Diego Catholic High School orchestra prepares to perform in the State Orchestra Festival. Courtesy photo/JDCHS

DRAPER — Juan Diego Catholic High School qualified for the first time to perform in the State Orchestra Festival to be held at Salem Hills High School on May 18.

"We have been trying to qualify for the past four years," said Jed Blodgett, Juan Diego percussion and orchestra director. "The students are extremely excited because we have always come close but not quite made it. It is a very difficult thing to do because you have to play serious music and music that is of a certain difficulty level.

"For the students to play music that was as difficult as it was and to perform as well as they did in the Region 10 Orchestra Festival, was really remarkable," Blodgett said, adding that Juan Diego received the highest rating of any of the nine school orchestras trying to qualify for the State Orchestra Festival.

Park City High School’s advanced orchestra was the only other Region 10 school to qualify, said Blodgett.

"They are at least twice the size of Juan Diego’s orchestra, with close to 30 members, but we received a higher score," he said. "Juan Diego is the smallest orchestra in the region with 13 members. It’s difficult for us to be compared to orchestras that are twice our size or bigger, but we still made a good showing. The orchestras at the state level will be at least twice our size, if not larger, and that makes it even more difficult for us. We technically are not judged against the other orchestras."

Juan Diego started preparing for the festival in January.

"We do a dozen or more performances each year for Masses and the Juan Diego community and around Draper city, but the festival is our most important performance," Blodgett said. "We also have teachers and clinicians come and work with the students. Cheung Chau, director of Utah Valley University, who is a cellist and well-known conductor throughout the world, came to work with the students, as did Logan McKinney, from Saint John the Baptist Middle School."

Blodgett began the orchestra with nine students at Juan Diego when he was hired four years ago. The school now has five different orchestras and two chamber groups. Four years ago Blodgett also helped start an orchestra program at Saint Andrew School in Riverton.

"The middle school orchestras are growing fast and playing well," said Blodgett. "The kids love being in orchestra and they are excited about it."

"We really couldn’t do what we do without the support of our administrators at the high school with Dr. (Galey) Colosimo and the middle school with Jim Markosian," said Blodgett. "The principals offer us so much support."

For information or to attend the Orchestra Festival, visit www.jdchs.org.