Some musicians play all their lives without making it to Carnegie Hall.
But for Durango High School student Grace Wilmes, her invitation to perform at one of the world’s most famous venues came early thanks to a nomination by DHS orchestra teacher Alex “Rusty” Charpentier.
Wilmes, a violinist, was one of 750 musicians selected from 18,000 applications from around the world to perform in the 2017 High School Honors Performance Series, which includes four choirs, a band, a symphony orchestra and a string ensemble.
Wilmes was selected for the string ensemble. They rehearsed for five days with Conductor Kirt Mosier and explored New York City before their performance Feb. 5.
A student of Martha Sandy Keifer, Wilmes is a member of the DHS Orchestra and has played with the Durango Youth Symphony, the San Juan Symphony’s Side-by-Side Orchestra and in the summer chamber music series at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
She is the daughter of Jessie Wilmes and Tom Hafnor.
Herald Staff
