Shepherd School students take the stage at D.C.’s Kennedy Center

Just days after the conclusion of the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra’s successful East Coast tour, Rice University music students took the stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Feb. 21 as part of the Conservatory Project, a Kennedy Center program showcasing the best young musical talent from the nation’s leading conservatories, colleges and universities. This year marks the Shepherd School’s 11th year of participation in the program.

The performance included Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27/2 featuring pianist Viktor Valkov; Scodanibbio’s “Joke” from Sei Studi and Rabbath’s “Le Cri de Venise” featuring double bassist Nina DeCesare; and Rameau’s “Gavotte et Six Doubles” and Ligeti’s “Sechs Bagatellen” featuring the Noctua Wind Quintet, which includes flutist Kayla Burggraf, oboist Michelle Pan, clarinetist Nico Chona, bassoonist Tommy Morrison, and hornist Everett Burns.

Photo credit: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.