MIHS Orchestra To Play Carnegie Hall April 19

The Isaac Stern Auditorium and Ronald O. Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall (Photo credit: Jeff Goldberg / ESTO)

Mercer Island, WA, March 18, 2025 – Mercer Island High School (MIHS) is excited to announce the MIHS Orchestra program will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York on Saturday, April 19 at 4:00pm.

“This is such an amazing opportunity for our students,” said MIHS orchestra director Bryan Kolk. “To perform in Carnegie Hall, the most famous and prestigious venue in America, steeped in so much musical history and tradition, is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I’m so proud of our students who have earned their spot on this stage and will perform beautifully, representing our wonderful community to New York and beyond.”

The opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall came about as a part of the National Band and Orchestra Festival and was the result of a competitive application process. Recordings of the MIHS Orchestras were submitted, and after thorough review the MIHS ensembles were selected to perform alongside other high-achieving programs from around the country. Nationally renowned clinicians will be listening and adjudicating the performance, which is open to the public.

For ticketing information visit Carnegie Hall’s website

Kolk received the invitation letter to play at Carnegie Hall and it read: “Congratulations!  It is my privilege to inform you that the Mercer Island High School Orchestras has been selected for the National Band and Orchestra Festival at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, April 19th, 2025. I sincerely hope you and your students will be able to join us for this incredibly rich educational experience in the world’s greatest concert hall.”

Students in the orchestra program will leave for New York on the evening of April 15 and return on April 20.

“The orchestra’s trip to Carnegie Hall is another example of the great fine arts programs we have in MISD,” said Superintendent Fred Rundle. “Our teachers and staff provide so many opportunities for our students to showcase their talents and gain recognition not just on Mercer Island but also nationally.”

Students will also have the opportunity to explore New York and see firsthand many of the cultural touchstones and musical experiences only possible in the Big Apple, including a visit to Broadway and an orchestral clinic with the faculty of New York University.

MIHS orchestra students, like Kolk's sixth period students seen in the photos below, have been practicing every day to prepare for their performance at Carnegie Hall.