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Triumphant debut of RE Vocal Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra
Ransom Everglades' new RE Vocal Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra made a triumphant debut at a monumental Dec. 1 concert that included voice, strings, brass, percussion and woodwinds. The event at the Lewis Family Auditorium showcased three conductors – faculty members Laura Montes (voice), Scott O’Donnell (strings) and Jon Hamm (band and orchestra) – eight ensembles, two solos and 19 pieces of well-known music.
Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
The Winter Winds, Voices and Strings concert opened with impressive strings ensembles led by O’Donnell; those were followed by four songs performed by the new vocal ensemble, including the charming “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Sing.” Members of the symphony orchestra and vocal ensemble then performed Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and pianists Sofia Rakhimi ’25 and Andrew Gedde ’25 offered Mozart and Chopin solos.
RE Director of Arts Shawn Costantino introduced the performers and conductors and shared his excitement about the launch of the new programming, which he envisioned upon his arrival to Ransom Everglades just over a year ago.
The program concluded with a performance by the RE Combined Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra under Hamm, who declared the opportunity to conduct the symphony orchestra a dream come true. The orchestra performed Selections from Peer Gynt by Edvard Grieg, West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim and March to the Scaffold by Hector Berlioz.
At the conclusion of the event, the student-musicians received a standing ovation.
At the conclusion of the event, the student-musicians received a standing ovation.
Sopranos Julia Cuy ’25 Daniela Garcia ’26 Kaitlyn Gonzalez ’24 Emma Holtzman ’24 Sophia Lopez ’25 Isabella Ranawat ’26 Lucia Soto ’24 Cianna Vengoechea Schiff ’25 | Altos Grace Hucks ’24 Gabrielle Lieberman ’24 Carolina Linfante ’26 Sofia Martin ’25 Jaerla Sajous ’25 Miranda Silva ’26 Ronja Stargala ’25 | Tenors Christopher Harper ’26 Adrian Jagodzinski ’25 Matthew Moskovitz ’25 Rowan Tolon ’24 Basses Alejandro Andrade ’25 Henry Berler ’25 Armando Segrera ’25 |
Combined Symphonic Band
Flute Lena Zide ’23 Emilia Awad ’26 Vicky Pinilla ’25 Oboe Santi Sauceda ’24 Bassoon Varun Raju ’24 Clarinet Rogelio Munoz ’23 Chase Dubovy ’25 Alto Sax David Luan ’25 Isabel Chong ’24 Tenor Sax Ari Bennett ’24 | Bari Sax Carlos Horcasitas ’25 Trumpet Miguel Arango ’24 Martin Piedrahita ’24 Eleonora Cavallini ’23 John Devaney ’23 Andrer Gedde ’25 Nicolas Goldberg ’23 Aarav Jindall ’26 Nico Sosa ’23 Max Wolfe ’23 French Horn Leah Maduro ’23 Hudson Kaplan ’25 Trombone Sebastian Daire ’23 Hudson Kaplan ’25 Will Malone ’24 Edwin Carr ’26 | Euphonium Will Malone ’24 Tuba Christian Sosa ’23 Bass/Percussion Eric Wilson ’24 Timpani Ari Bennett ’24 Miguel Arango ’24 Max Bast ’23 Piano/Percussion Max Bast ’23 Paloma Lopes ’25 Griffin Nelson-Montet ’25 Sofia Rakhimi ’25 |
Symphony Orchestra
Violin 1 Violet Martin ’24* Evelyn Yu ’24+ Sirja Joeveer ’25+ Nate Kaplan ’24 Sindhu Talluri ’25 Violin II Carlos del Canal Fernandez ’25* Sofia Wolf ’23 Arjun Badwal ’23 Annabel Zhou ’24 Gianna Carvalho ’26 Viola Christine Keedy Brown ’24*+ Theodore Ma ’23+ Annabelle Sanders ’23 Antonia Awad ’23 Alicia Medina ’26 Manuel Campos ’25 Cello Mateo Heitner ’25*+ Tariq Maduro ’26+ Mickey Day ’25 Ephram Brandwayn ’26 Taylen Toomer ’23 Felix Rodriguez '24 Anu Tewari ’24 | Bass Isabel Chong ’24* Eric Wilson ’24 Flute Lena Zide ’23* Emilia Awad ’26 Vicky Pinilla ’25 Oboe Santi Sauceda ’24* Bassoon Varun Raju ’24* Clarinet Rogelio Munoz-Franco ’23* Chase Dubovy ’25 Alto Sax David Luan ’25* Isabel Chong ’24 Tenor Sax Ari Bennett ’24 Baritone Sax Carlos Horcasitas ’25 Trumpet Martin Piedrahita ’24* Miguel Arango ’24 | Eleonora Cavallini ’23 John Devaney ’23 Andrew Gedde ’25 Nicolas Goldberg ’23 Aarav Jindall ’26 Nico Sosa ’23 Max Wolfe ’23 French Horn Leah Maduro ’23* Hudson Kaplan ’25 Trombone Sebastian Daire ’23* Hudson Kaplan ’25 Will Malone ’24 Edwin Carr ’26 Tuba Christian Sosa ’23* Timpani Ari Bennett ’24* Miguel Arango ’24 Percussion Max Bast ’23* Paloma Lopes ’25 Griffin Nelson-Montet ’25 Sofia Rakhimi ’25 * principal + quartet members |
Jon Hamm, Conductor and Musical Director of the Combined Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra
Scott O’Donnell, Director of String Ensembles
Laura Montes, Choral Director
Arn Xu, Accompanist
Middle School
2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 250 6850
Upper School
3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 460 8800
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.