Carnegie Hall: One of the most prestigious concert venues in the world. Classical and popular musicians alike strive for the opportunity to perform on its famous stage, and this spring a group of young musicians from Redmond will do just that.

On March 31, 2013, members of the Redmond High School (RHS) Mustang Symphony program will take the stage to play a 40-minute set in the world-renowned hall in New York.

“I think it’s a really big honor,” said senior Lydia Hsu. “It’s really cool to tell your friends, ‘I’m going to Carnegie Hall.’”

The violinist is one of 65 students making the trip and while she’s excited for the opportunity, she admits she is a bit nervous, as well.

Junior and violist Riley Harris is eager for the chance to play Carnegie Hall, as well, but tries not to think about it. He said he wants to pace himself and savor the excitement till March.

“In a word, I would call it surreal,” he said.

A PROACTIVE DIRECTOR

The opportunity for the musical Mustangs to play the famous stage comes from RHS orchestra director Paula C. Ferguson, who submitted a video of the group performing three pieces last spring to MidAmerica Productions (MAP) — an organization that provides individuals the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of a combined orchestra and ensembles to perform their own sets.

“They couldn’t believe it…that they were good enough to play at Carnegie Hall,” Ferguson said about her students’ reaction to the news.

Even though the students may not have initially believed in themselves, Ferguson did. Both Hsu and Harris said it has been thanks to their director that they even had a chance of performing as Ferguson is “very proactive” in finding opportunities for her students.

“She’s done so much for the orchestra program in the Redmond region,” Harris said. “She just makes it accessible to everyone.”

SECOND TIME AROUND

This is the second time Ferguson will bring a group to Carnegie Hall. The last time was in 2009.

Ferguson said she thought it was a good year to apply to go back because the school has just transitioned to a four-year high school. All of the students who made the trip in 2009 have graduated with the exception of Kyu Kim, a senior who performed four years ago as an eighth-grader.

In addition to making a second trip to Carnegie Hall, Kim will perform a cello solo during the Mustangs’ performance. He will be playing on a 1970 Anton Schroetter Stradivarius cello on loan from the Carlsen Cello Foundation. According to its website, the foundation’s mission is to make “fine cellos available to deserving students.” The foundation loans out instruments on a long-term basis to students selected through teacher recommendations and video performance.

Ferguson said a combination of students from all four grades and all four of her orchestra classes will travel to New York in March. She said although they are mostly strings, the orchestra also includes some wind instruments.

“It’s a full orchestra so we also have some band members (from the RHS band program),” she said.

BENEFIT CONCERT

While performing at Carnegie Hall is a rare opportunity, it is also an expensive one. To help cover some of the costs, the RHS orchestra program is holding a benefit concert tonight at the Redmond Performing Arts Center on the school’s campus, at 17272 N.E. 104th. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at http://tinyurl.com/clrthyz, and $10 for adults and $7 for students and seniors.

The benefit will also have a raffle drawing and concessions.

Ferguson said the proceeds will help cover instrument rentals once they get to New York as it is very expensive to travel with large instruments. The funds will also go to cover the cost of group meals and transportation if needed.

COMBINING FORCES

The RHS orchestras will be performing, as well as the Microsoft Orchestra.

Director James Truher connected with Ferguson last summer and said the benefit concert was a great opportunity for his group to do something they normally wouldn’t get the chance to do. He said it was also a chance for them to show their younger counterparts that they don’t have to be professional musicians to continue playing instruments.

“I’m hoping that kids from the high school can see the same thing,” Truher said, adding that no one in the Microsoft Orchestra, which as about 65 members, is a career musician.

During tonight’s concert, the RHS orchestras will perform a number of pieces and the Microsoft Orchestra will perform one, as well. The groups will then combine for an all-strings performance and an all-instruments performance.

Truher said these performances will put 90 to 100-plus musicians on the stage.

“We’re pretty close friends now,” he said about the tight fit.

His orchestra has rehearsed with the students and he said things have been going great during rehearsals.

“We’re ready to go,” Truher said.