By Khalida Sarwari
This summer will be like no other for 200 Saratoga High School music students. In June, the students will be traveling to Spain to perform in two music festivals over the span of two weeks.
Michael Boitz, the school’s visual and performing arts chairman, is organizing the trip. He said the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles invited Saratoga High to participate after members of the music department applied “on a whim” last year. Four schools in the East Bay and other youth bands and orchestras in Europe will also be taking part, but Saratoga students will be among the youngest, he said.
“We look awfully young compared to a lot of groups that will be seen,” Boitz said. “So we have to work really hard and focus diligently on preparation for it, because we’re sharing the stage with really fantastic groups.”
The advanced ensembles, comprised of 10th through 12th graders in the symphonic, orchestra and wind ensembles, along with a handful of freshmen, will be making this excursion, scheduled for June 21-July 4, Boitz said. They’ll be performing at the Palau de la Musica in Valencia, the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona and the concert hall at the the Kursaal Congress Centre and Auditorium in San Sebastian.
In the last decade, Saratoga High School music students have traveled overseas on three different occasions, with the last one taking place in 2009 when they went to Austria, Switzerland and Germany. For the students, it’s an opportunity to learn about the history of each city, meet their counterparts from around the world and play in front of different audiences. Especially during the summer when Europe’s music festivals are in full bloom, “You always have really great appreciative audiences,” said Boitz.
While they’re there, Boitz said the students would be taking in significant landmarks in each of the three cities via walking tours and high-speed rail.
“We’re going to embrace [Spain] culturally and artistically as much as we can,” he said.
Planning for the trip began in the fall when students began raising money through a cookie dough sale. Throughout the school year, they’ve also sold gift cards and played in smaller groups at various community events to fund raise.
To continue fundraising efforts, the music department will hold a Jazz Cabaret and Swing Dance on March 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the large gym. A complimentary coffee and dessert buffet will be available in the small gym. Tickets, sold on the Saratoga Music Boosters website and at the door, are $20 for adults, $10 for students, and $50 for a family package (two adults and two students).
Boitz described the event as “a nightclub meets a wedding reception.”
“It’s a blast,” he said. “If people have never come they should give it a shot.”
For more information about the Jazz Cabaret, visitsaratogamusic.org/documents/Saratoga_Jazz_event_ticket_order_form_v3.pdf. Information about the trip is available on the Saratoga Music Boosters website at saratogamusic.org.
