Two Gorge students to sing in historic Carnegie Hall

Every year, WorldStrides hosts the High School Honors Performance Series, which allows band, orchestra and choir students from around the world to come and perform in the historic hall. To get accepted, students must be nominated by a music instructor, and send in an application and audition tape of them singing a song in a different language.

Both Columbia High School junior Wren Greeley-Havard and The Dalles High School freshman Cas Ortega were nominated by Shawn Lutz, who they each take voice lessons with.

After auditioning in June, it wasn’t until the end of October that the pair received the email letting them know they’d been accepted. For both of them, it was very emotional.

“When I found out that I had gotten in, I burst into tears,” Greeley-Havard said.

Ortega, who uses they/them pronouns, said that they got a text from Lutz that evening, telling them to check their email for their results, as Greeley-Havard had gotten hers.

“I checked it and I was reading it and it said ‘Congratulations,’” they said. “I was like ‘Oh my God, I did it. I get to go to New York.’ I was so happy.”

For Greeley-Havard, one of the most exciting things about Carnegie Hall is its history, particularly in the field of human rights, which is something she’s very interested in. When researching for the essay included in the application, in which students have to explain why they would be a good fit for the program, she learned about occasions where Carnegie Hall hosted events dedicated to African-American rights and women’s suffrage.

“I’m really excited about being able to perform in a hall that has so much rich musical history,” she said.

In addition to performing at Carnegie Hall, members of the program also receive a tour of New York City and get to attend a Broadway show. Both Greeley-Havard and Ortega expressed their excitement and interest in Broadway. Though Greeley-Havard has been to New York once before and seen Off-Broadway shows, this will be her first time seeing an actual Broadway show. For Ortega, however, this will be an entirely new experience.

“I haven’t been to any sort of Broadway show or to New York before,” they said. “It’s really exciting.”

Both students are currently fundraising for the trip, which will take place the first week of February. The program itself costs around $2,249, which does not include flights or food. Ortega’s parents are also attending the trip, which means they will also need to pay for room and board, as well as additional plane tickets.

To donate to the students’ expenses and help pay for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, visit Lutz’s fundraiser at www.gofundme.com/f/honors-choir-students-sing-at-carnegie-hall or the fundraiser arranged by Greeley-Havard’s father, Brian Greeley, at www.gofundme.com/f/help-wren-sing-at-carnegie-hall.