The Seven Lakes Masterworks concert was held Jan. 31st for an audience of about 400 attendees. Held once every two years, the biannual Masterworks concert is a large-scale fine arts showcase that features the orchestra, band, and choir, along with special guest appearances. The 2026 season focused on the theme of “The Hope Within Us,” with repertoire ranging from Aaron Perrine’s Only Light to Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia.
“My favorite part was getting to collaborate with the band and orchestra,” viola member Gabriel Lan said. “It’s something that you don’t get to do very often,”
This years’ performance featured guest conductor Jeffrey Grogan, an internationally acclaimed musician and the current professor of Orchestral Studies at Baylor University’s School of Music. Having conducted in venues from the Musikverein in Vienna to the Sydney Opera House in Australia, Grogan brings extensive conducting experience to the Seven Lakes stage.
“He really fleshes out all these movements and it makes everything so much more dynamic and engaging,” varsity choir member Brian Barnes said. “It provides a new perspective.”
In addition to Grogan’s special appearance, Masterworks also welcomed guest soloist Lauren Matthews, a cellist pursuing her Master of Music at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Performing Karl Jenkin’s The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace (XII. Benedictus), Matthews delivered a performance that reinforced the concert’s theme of hope and resilience.
“It showed how we all have hope inside of us,” senior Erica Zhang said. “It’s about persevering through hard challenges—whether it’s political or personal challenges.”
Preparation for Masterworks required a significant time commitment from both students and directors alike. Rehearsals took place after school, lasting up to two hours as the concert date approached.
“We worked for a month and a half on the music,” senior Erica Zhang said. “It genuinely took a lot of time since I practiced most days of the week.”
Performers agree that Masterworks provides a rare opportunity to showcase all aspects of the school’s fine arts department through a unified program.
“It is an awesome opportunity to be able to do something like this because many schools don’t have the opportunity to collaborate between Fine Arts,” Barnes said. “That’s really what I’m thankful for and it’s so cool to be able to do this.”
