The Bellevue High School Orchestra celebrated its 90th anniversary with a gala concert for the community on June 8.
Mayor John Stokes surprised the group with a proclamation declaring June “Bellevue High School Orchestra Month.” The group was also commended by King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci.
The orchestra was established in 1927 with seven students. Today the group has grown to 79 students and is led by Director Chase Chang.
Students paid tribute to the original orchestra by performing an aria from Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto, which was played at the group’s first performance in 1927. Additional pieces performed included works by Felix Mendelssohn, Anton Dvořák, and Giacomo Puccini.
The 90th anniversary concert was sponsored by the Bellevue High School Orchestra Booster Club, a nonprofit parent volunteer organization that exists to promote and support the school’s student musicians in their pursuit to perform classical music.