As the auditorium lights dimmed, an expectant silence fell over the crowd. The first notes emerged with clarity and purpose, setting in motion two nights of music that would demonstrate not only technical skill but also artistic maturity. On December 17th and 18th, 2024, the Bronx High School of Science Winter Concert was more than a showcase of student talent. It was a testament to the depth of the school’s musical community, an institution where precision and passion meet.
Though Bronx Science is best known for its scientific and mathematical rigor, these performances affirmed that musical rigor is equally significant. The concert featured orchestral masterworks, intricate choral arrangements, jazz improvisation, and celebratory holiday selections. While each group brought its own distinct character to the stage, the performances were unified by a commitment to musical excellence.
The Chorus
Under the direction of Mr. Paul DeSilva, the Bronx Science Chorus opened the concert with a program that highlighted both subtlety and range. The first song selected, Johnny Mandel’s The Shadow of Your Smile, required a controlled approach, and the ensemble delivered. Written for the 1965 film The Sandpiper, the piece won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Its tender, wistful melody is a hallmark of the Great American Songbook, where careful phrasing and refined expression is essential. The students brought these elements to the forefront, balancing warmth with restraint.
The mood shifted with Pasek and Paul’s Rewrite the Stars, a song from the hit 2017 musical film The Greatest Showman. Known for its sweeping melody and emotionally charged lyrics, the song required both theatrical presence and technical control. The singers stepped forward with confidence, delivering heartfelt performances, while the ensemble provided a lush harmonic backdrop that elevated the piece’s soaring phrases.
The ensemble continued with Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, originally written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in 1945. The arrangement maintained the song’s bright and playful energy while allowing the chorus to showcase crisp diction and a warm, blended tone.
The highlight of the set was Africa by Toto, a song that has enjoyed enduring popularity since its release in 1982. With its complex polyrhythms and intricate vocal harmonies, Africa is a challenging piece to execute live, requiring rhythmic precision and dynamic control. The chorus handled these criteria effortlessly, fully immersing the audience in the song’s sweeping harmonies and layered instrumentation.
The Jazz Band
(Sophie Yang)
If the chorus displayed refinement, the Jazz Band, led by Mr. Juan Mantilla, brought an entirely different energy. Their performance of Thelonious Monk’s Blue Monk was a study in controlled spontaneity. Composed in 1954, Blue Monk is one of Monk’s most well-known blues pieces, characterized by its simple yet instantly recognizable melody. The students navigated Monk’s signature harmonic progressions with fluency, while featured soloists crafted their improvisations with both technical command and a sense of ease.
The set continued with Horace Silver’s Song for My Father, a 1964 composition that blends hard bop with Brazilian and Cape Verdean influences. The piece’s rhythmic bassline and call-and-response structure made it the perfect choice for the band’s brass and saxophone sections, which engaged in a lively dialogue throughout the performance.
One of the most unexpected directorial choices of the evening was a jazz arrangement of Star Wars (Main Title). John Williams’s legendary score has been performed in countless styles, but the Bronx Science Jazz Band offered a fresh take. The brass section carried the familiar melody with authority, while the rhythmic alterations added a swing-infused dimension to the orchestral classic.
The final selection, Herbie Hancock’s Cantaloupe Island, was originally recorded in 1964 as part of Hancock’s Empyrean Isles album. Known for its hypnotic groove and bluesy modal structure, Cantaloupe Island demands a deep understanding of jazz phrasing and rhythmic interplay. The students executed it with clarity, locking into the pulse of the piece while allowing space for individual voices to emerge. The resulting performance captured the essence of jazz-tight ensemble playing balanced by freedom of individual expression.
The Orchestra
(Kathryn Wu)
Under Mr.DeSilva’s baton, the Bronx Science Orchestra, delivered a program that showcased both technical discipline and interpretive depth. The evening opened with Brahms’s Variations on a Theme by Haydn, one of the great orchestral works of the Romantic period. Composed in 1873, the piece is based on the “St. Anthony Chorale,” which Brahms believed to be a work of Joseph Haydn. Each variation expands on the theme in a different way, demanding a high level of musical sensitivity and ensemble cohesion. The students met these demands with a performance that was both precise and expressive.
Mozart’s Symphony No. 36 in C, K. 425 (“Linz”) followed. Composed in just four days in 1783, the symphony is known for its energy and lyricism. The first movement, Allegro spiritoso, is marked by rapid passages and dynamic contrasts, requiring agility from every section of the orchestra. The articulation was crisp, the phrasing natural, and the students navigated the transitions with a level of confidence that made the piece feel effortless rather than well-rehearsed.
The program then took a cinematic turn with Go West, a medley of The Magnificent Seven, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and Hang ’Em High. These Western film scores, composed by Elmer Bernstein and Ennio Morricone, are among the most recognizable in film history. The orchestra’s execution of bold brass fanfares, sweeping string lines, and commanding percussion captured the grandiosity of the genre.
For the musicians, the concert was the culmination of months of rehearsals and collective effort. “There’s something special about performing in a full orchestra,” said Samuel Paing’25, an oboist in the ensemble. “Even after playing this repertoire for weeks, there’s a different energy onstage. Everything just clicks in a way that’s impossible to recreate in rehearsals.”
The final selection, Strauss’s Radetzky March, composed in 1848, has long been a favorite for audience participation. As expected, the crowd clapped along in rhythm, following the gradual dynamic build of the piece until its triumphant conclusion.
The Concert Band
The Concert Band, also led by Mr. Mantilla, closed the concert with a program that balanced lyricism with intensity. The most striking performance was Ennio Morricone’s Gabriel’s Oboe, composed for the 1986 film The Mission. Featuring Sharon Kim ’25 on bassoon, the piece’s hauntingly beautiful melody requires an expressive approach. Kim’s solo was both luminous and controlled, holding the audience in rapt attention.
The program lightened with James Swearingen’s Winter Holiday medley, a well-arranged collection of seasonal classics. The band played with rhythmic precision, bringing new energy to the familiar melodies.
Scott Watson’s Terracotta Warriors was a striking highlight of the program, bringing a cinematic and percussive intensity to the performance. Inspired by the ancient Chinese army of life-sized clay soldiers buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the piece mirrored their imposing presence through commanding brass fanfares and relentless rhythmic drive. The percussion section, a crucial element of the composition, created a sense of grandeur and movement, evoking the steady march of warriors frozen in time. The students delivered the piece with a remarkable sense of conviction, making its harmonic depth and layered textures feel almost tangible.
The concert reached its grand conclusion with James Swearingen’s Covington Square, a work that radiates warmth and vitality. Known for his ability to craft engaging and accessible wind ensemble music, Swearingen infused the piece with a sense of community and celebration, capturing the charm of a lively town square. The interplay between the bright, lyrical woodwinds and the bold, resonant brass created a rich contrast, while the driving percussion maintained momentum and energy. The ensemble’s expressive phrasing and dynamic sensitivity elevated the performance, making each musical transition feel purposeful and fluid. As the final chords resounded through the auditorium, the audience was left with a lasting impression of both the ensemble’s technical prowess and their ability to convey deep musical expression.
The Winter Concert was more than a collection of performances. It was an affirmation of the role that music plays within the Bronx Science community. For two nights, the stage became a space where technique and artistry met, where rehearsed precision gave way to something dynamic and alive.
The Winter Concert was more than a collection of performances. It was an affirmation of the role that music plays within the Bronx Science community. For two nights, the stage became a space where technique and artistry met, where rehearsed precision gave way to something dynamic and alive.