Arts Overview

Talented musicians from the Class of 2024 performed in the inaugural senior recital April 21 in Hyde Chapel. The concert featured solo performances by Joel Lim on oboe, Dannie Dong on piano, and Gabe Chen on violin.

Seniors, from left, Eshaan Patnaik (clarinet), Alan Zhou (flute), and Joel Lim (oboe) competed recently in the Tennessee Bandmasters Association Solo and Ensemble Competition. They won the ensemble portion qualifying to represent MUS and the West Tennessee District for the Tennessee Bandmasters Association Honors Recital at the Tennessee Music Education Association All-State Conference April 10-13. 

Upper School and Lower School students interested in participating in the MUS Theater Company’s fall musical, Mamma Mia!, should head to Hyde Chapel May 8, 10, and 11 for auditions and tech interviews. Theater Assistant Director Ted Fockler ’10, Instructor in Music Matt Tutor ’91, and Theater Technical Director Robert Fudge welcome potential actors, actresses, designers, and crew members.

Instructor in Instrumental Music and Director of Band and Orchestra Programs Chris Piecuch has been named the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music Educator of the Year. He will receive the award in an April 26 ceremony in the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center.

Five Owls earned honors in the Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards for work they produced during the first semester. See their work HERE.

Andrew Xu ’23 entered an illustration titled “Poli Sci,” which earned a Gold Key. Xu’s art will be on display at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, and it will be sent to New York for national judging.

Congratulations to all Owl musicians who auditioned for the All-West Tennessee Orchestras. They performed difficult musical excerpts and scales, and were required to sightread in front of a judge who is a professional musician and/or teacher.

Juniors Dannie Dong (percussion) and Joel Lim (oboe) were selected for the All-National Honor Ensembles, sponsored by the National Association for Music Education.

Congratulations to seventh grader Gus Williams for his second-place win in the grade-level BRACE awards at Briarcrest with “Psychadillo,” created in Mrs. Laura Beck’s Art 7 class.

Congratulations to eighth grader Will Patterson for winning the pumpkin carving contest. See more photos from the contest HERE.

As MUS highlighted Hispanic heritage this month with a chapel guest from Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group, artists in Mrs. Laura Beck’s seventh grade classes created Día de los Muertos posters. While working on their pieces, Owls studied Hispanic heritage as well as color therapy, symmetry, and Zentangles.

Instructor in Art Laura Beck is hosting a pumpkin carving contest! Students can enter by submitting a photo of their creation by October 27. The artist must be in the photo with his pumpkin.

Instructor in Art Laura Beck has announced the winners of the Homecoming Poster Contest!

Art and Star Wars clubs hosted a Star Wars themed art contest last month. The winners, announced in assembly Wednesday, May 4, were junior Charlie Gallop and seventh grader Clay Patterson.

At the recent honor societies and Book Awards event, a parliament of Owls earned their membership into six prestigious honor societies.

A record 28 musicians earned chairs in All-West Tennessee bands and orchestras, and another two received alternate status. This surpasses last year’s record of 25 musicians and three alternates. Additionally, eight students qualified for All-State honors.

Congratulations to the winners of the Admissions Department card art contest, freshman Oscar Liu and eighth grader Jeremy Burks.