Photo taken by Goldbeck Co.
Symphony Orchestra
The Symphony Orchestra is the premier orchestra at Westwood High School. The Westwood Symphony Orchestra has been named the TMEA Honor Orchestra four times and has performed at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. Most of the members of the Symphony Orchestra are All-Region Orchestra students as well. The orchestra is comprised of mainly upperclassmen with a few highly talented underclassmen. All students should be enrolled in private lessons. Technical skills necessary to handle the rigors of this group are the ability to play beyond 7th position in all instruments; violas must be able to sight-read in treble clef, and cellos must be able to sight-read in tenor clef; cellos and basses must be comfortable playing in thumb position. This orchestra performs high level repertoire. There is a mandatory after-school rehearsal every Tuesday (4:30-6:00) for the Symphony Orchestra from August until May.
Philharmonic Orchestra
The Philharmonic Orchestra is an advanced ensemble that performs high level repertoire. This orchestra is a consistent "Sweepstakes" award winner at UIL Contest, and many students in this ensemble are members of the All-Region Orchestra. Students are highly encouraged to be enrolled in private lessons. Technical skills necessary to handle the technical demands of this group's repertoire include: all students must be comfortable up to 5th position; violas must be able to read treble clef and cellos must be able to read tenor clef; cellos and basses must be able to play in thumb position. There is a mandatory after-school rehearsal every Wednesday (4:30-6:00) for the Philharmonic Orchestra from August until UIL Contest in April.
Concert Orchestra
The Concert Orchestra meets 6th block, and performs separately first semester and at UIL String Contest, but combines with Camerata for UIL Full Orchestra Contest. This orchestras is consistently a "Sweepstakes" award winner at UIL Contest. All students must have a minimum of 2 years of string playing experience. This group is comprised of a mixture of students from all grades. The Concert Orchestras have a mandatory after school rehearsal on Thursday (4:30-6:00) from January until Full Orchestra Contest prior to spring break.
Camerata
The newest orchestra at Westwood is the Camerata, which replaces one of the Concert Orchestras. It meets 5th block, and performs separately first semester and at UIL String Contest, but combines with Concert Orchestra for UIL Full Orchestra Contest. All students must have a minimum of 2 years of string playing experience. This group is comprised of a mixture of students from all grades, but is mostly underclassmen. The Camerata has a mandatory after school rehearsal on Thursday (4:30-6:00) from January until Full Orchestra Contest prior to spring break.
Entrance auditions are required for all orchestras, and take place in the spring.
The Symphony Orchestra is the premier orchestra at Westwood High School. The Westwood Symphony Orchestra has been named the TMEA Honor Orchestra four times and has performed at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. Most of the members of the Symphony Orchestra are All-Region Orchestra students as well. The orchestra is comprised of mainly upperclassmen with a few highly talented underclassmen. All students should be enrolled in private lessons. Technical skills necessary to handle the rigors of this group are the ability to play beyond 7th position in all instruments; violas must be able to sight-read in treble clef, and cellos must be able to sight-read in tenor clef; cellos and basses must be comfortable playing in thumb position. This orchestra performs high level repertoire. There is a mandatory after-school rehearsal every Tuesday (4:30-6:00) for the Symphony Orchestra from August until May.
Philharmonic Orchestra
The Philharmonic Orchestra is an advanced ensemble that performs high level repertoire. This orchestra is a consistent "Sweepstakes" award winner at UIL Contest, and many students in this ensemble are members of the All-Region Orchestra. Students are highly encouraged to be enrolled in private lessons. Technical skills necessary to handle the technical demands of this group's repertoire include: all students must be comfortable up to 5th position; violas must be able to read treble clef and cellos must be able to read tenor clef; cellos and basses must be able to play in thumb position. There is a mandatory after-school rehearsal every Wednesday (4:30-6:00) for the Philharmonic Orchestra from August until UIL Contest in April.
Concert Orchestra
The Concert Orchestra meets 6th block, and performs separately first semester and at UIL String Contest, but combines with Camerata for UIL Full Orchestra Contest. This orchestras is consistently a "Sweepstakes" award winner at UIL Contest. All students must have a minimum of 2 years of string playing experience. This group is comprised of a mixture of students from all grades. The Concert Orchestras have a mandatory after school rehearsal on Thursday (4:30-6:00) from January until Full Orchestra Contest prior to spring break.
Camerata
The newest orchestra at Westwood is the Camerata, which replaces one of the Concert Orchestras. It meets 5th block, and performs separately first semester and at UIL String Contest, but combines with Concert Orchestra for UIL Full Orchestra Contest. All students must have a minimum of 2 years of string playing experience. This group is comprised of a mixture of students from all grades, but is mostly underclassmen. The Camerata has a mandatory after school rehearsal on Thursday (4:30-6:00) from January until Full Orchestra Contest prior to spring break.
Entrance auditions are required for all orchestras, and take place in the spring.