RE Log Fall 2016

32 Ransom Everglades LOG FALL 2016 Student Ne A dazzling spring performance and recent accolades for RE’s young strings students demonstrate the tremendous growth and enormous potential of the program directed by Jessica Li, who joined RE in 2014 after receiving her master’s in music from Yale. The May orchestra concert at Swenson Hall was highlighted by a violin solo by Zachary Buttrick ’20 , and the per- formance of the Ransom Notes quartet - Mercury Sawatari ’17, Laura Liu ’19, Ashlyn Cowgill ’19 and Zachary Vuong ’19 . The audience also enjoyed works performed by the advanced strings Strings students spread their wings under director Li RE student’s work displayed at U.S. Capitol group: Buttrick, Isabel Almade-Sabate ’21, William Brodsky ’21, Julia Buckner ’20, Javier Garcon ’21, Isabella Marquez ’22, Gabriel Mora ’22, Zoe Sawatari ’20, Nikhil Shesadri ’21, Alexander Van Lidth ’22, Justin Wong ’21, Noah Zaldivar ’22; Andres Soto ’21; Julia Buckner ’20; and David Lehr ’20. In September, Middle School students Ian Barnett ’23, Branden Cabrera ’23, Isabella Marquez ’22, Nikhil Seshadri ’21 and Clara Villalba ’21 won seats in an 80-piece honor orchestra that will be featured at the 7th Annual Miami-Dade All-County Middle School String Festival. They will perform under renowned con- ductor Robert Longfield at the University of Miami Frost School of Music’s Gusman Hall at 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23. Li came to RE from Westminster Christian School, where she had been orchestra director at the start of the 2014- 15 year. She received her BA in music at the Manhattan School of Music. In other music news, RE’s award-winning band will kick off its 20th-anniversary year under director Jon Hamm with a recital on Oct. 27. Check the school calendar for more information. Lea Broudo’s “Head in the Clouds” portrait will remain on display at the U.S. Capitol through next summer following a June ceremony in Washington, D.C. The work, a portrait of classmate Debbie Ajagbe ’17 , can be viewed in the Cannon Tunnel, which connects the Capitol with the Cannon Congressional building. Broudo ‘17, was honored by Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen as the winner of her office’s Congressional Arts Competition, and flown to Washington for the recognition. Each spring the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent. “As a former Florida certified teacher, I know that encouraging the next generation of South Floridians to be active in the arts adds another level of vibrancy to our community,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “… I’m proud of each of these young artists.”