Mira Costa High School OrchestrasLocated in the Los Angeles suburb of Manhattan Beach, the orchestra program at Mira Costa High School began in the Fall of 2002 with a string orchestra of 19 students. Under the leadership of orchestra director Mr. Peter Park, the Mira Costa Orchestra Program has grown to involve over 150 student musicians.
Known for presenting diverse and quality programming, Mira Costa Orchestras prepare multiple concerts annually, drawing from the major orchestral repertoire. Since the Spring of 2010, they have premiered nine new compositions written expressly for them, including an original piece by GRAMMY and multiple Emmy Award-winning composer Lee Holdridge. Mira Costa Orchestras have presented numerous times at state-level music education conferences while performing at internationally renowned venues including Beijing Concert Hall, the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, Bella Concert Hall in Calgary, Palau de la Música de València, Palau de Música Catalan in Barcelona, and twice each at Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall. The advanced ensembles in the Mira Costa Orchestra Program have earned the highest ratings possible at every festival and contest they have taken part in. The music department at Mira Costa operates at a high level of artistic ambition and achievements. In 2012, the Mira Costa Orchestras were selected for a premiere status partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In 2014, the Costa music program was awarded the prestigious GRAMMY Signature Gold Award for being a top three high school music program in the United States. In 2015, the California Department of Education designated Mira Costa High School as a Gold Ribbon School through the strength of its Performing Arts Department. The orchestra program currently consists of the Philharmonic Strings, Sinfonietta, Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. Due to the level of training, rehearsals, performance and professionalism taught to the students over the years in orchestra, many have gone on to play in prestigious college music programs either as a career or to continue as a hobby. |