‘Work ethic’ sends Carson High clarinetist Drea Cabral to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 11/08/2022 - 9:06am
The Carson City School District is pleased to announce Drea Cabral, a junior at Carson High School has been selected to play with the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall in New York City Feb. 4, 2023. She was selected from more than 18,000 students who auditioned.
According to Ms. Cabral, it was really her ‘work ethic’ and commitment to practice regularly that set her apart.
“I was nominated to be part of this musical opportunity because I initially made it into the Nevada All State Band, something that I wasn’t able to do as a freshman,” Cabral said last week. “I really think it was my work ethic and all the time and practice I put in the last few years that set me apart.
The Honors Performance Series assembles some of the world’s rising young musicians to perform under the baton of master conductors at several of the world’s most celebrated concert halls including Carnegie Hall in New York City, USA; Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia; Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre in London, England; and the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria.
“It feels really good that my work paid off because I am taking four Advance Placement (AP) classes,” Cabral said. “So going to school, and then having marching band after school…having a couple hours of homework, I only get to start practicing around like 10 p.m. So I just feel bad for my family who has to listen to me squeak out high notes as they are trying to sleep.”
The performance series was established with the goal of distinguishing talented student musicians in a once-in-a-lifetime performance. The series is designed to give all student performers who participate a newfound confidence, strengthened musical abilities and big ideas for the future.
“I will really need to prepare and learn to play the pieces they plan for us to play because I will be one of only two or four clarinetists in the orchestra,” Cabral continued. “Normally there are four clarinets on each part, but it will just be me on my part, which is somewhat scary.”
Ms. Cabral is a First Chair clarinet player in the Carson High School Wind Ensemble. She is also the Principal Clarinetist in the Reno Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra as well as NZMEA Honor Band and Nevada All State Band.
When asked what her plans were after she graduates from Carson High School, she said she has thought about majoring in Chemistry with her top schools of preference being UC Berkley, USC or MIT.
“Considering the selection process and everything it takes to not only be considered but also accepted, it is a huge honor to have Carson High School represented among so many other prestigious schools across the nation,” Carson High School Band Director Nicolas Jacques said. “The fact that she will be playing in ensembles above and beyond what we offer at Carson High School, gives her an opportunity to extend her skills way beyond what we expect from even some of the top students in high school. It is going to set her up to do some amazing things in college."
