La Lumiere Announces 2017 ISSMA Medal Winners

La Lumiere School’s Chamber Ensemble participated in the District Solo and Ensemble competition for the Indiana State Music Association (ISSMA) held on January 28, 2017 at Kankakee Valley Middle School in Wheatfield, Indiana.

This is the first year that La Lumiere has offered a Chamber Ensemble program, and it is exciting to announce that they earned three gold medals in the Level II category for the following performances:

The string trio consisting of sophomores Nico Gnaedinger, La Porte, Ind.; Safiya Webster, Detroit; and freshman Brenna Hudson, South Bend, Ind.; performed “Ode to Three Joyful Violins” by Kristen Allred.

The wind trio consisting of sophomore Alexis Surma, Rolling Prairie, Ind.; freshmen Julie Maberry, Chicago and Grace Yarger, South Bend, Ind.; performed an except from Capriccio Italien, op. 45 by Tchaikovsky.

Brenna Hudson also received a gold medal for her solo violin performance “Concertino III” by George Perlman.

On Feb. 4, 2017, La Lumiere School’s Concert Choir also performed at the ISSMA District Solo and Ensemble and received a silver medal in the Level 1 category for their group performance. Under the direction of Mr. Brad Poore, seniors Julia Goodman and Amelia Murphy, La Porte, Ind.; Isaac Houston, Niles, Mich.; junior, Cassidy Rehrer, South Bend, Ind.; sophomores Bochun Guo, Jinan, China and Yijin Zhao, Harbin, China; and freshmen Elena Alick, Elkhart, Ind.; Brenna Hudson, South Bend, Ind.; and Yue Liang, China; sang Chi La Gagliarda, an Italian madrigal by Baldassare Donato.

In addition to the School’s choir ensemble, Bochun Guo and Yue Liang participated as solo vocalists. They each earned gold medals for their performances. Bochun sang Leave Me, Loathsome Light from G.F. Handel’s musical drama Semele and Yue sang a song by James Rogers entitled Cloud-Shadows.

“I am very proud of all our students who participated in the district Solo and Ensemble event,” said La Lumiere School Music Director, Brad Poore. “Our program is young, and it was exciting to see all our students receive gold medals at the Level II category. And though we were missing some of our Concert Choir students due to illness, the group entered at Level I for Madrigal Groups and earned a silver medal.”