On Saturday, January 10, 2026, Pacific Lutheran University hosted the Northwest High School Honor Band.
They hosted it in Lagerquist Concert Hall, a part of the Mary Baker Russel Music Center.
The Honor Band was directed by Ron Gerhardstein and Matt Vegh.
They split the concert into three different concert bands, two of them playing at 4:30 and 5, and the third one playing later that night at 6:30.
Multiple People from our very own THS got accepted. These students are: Hunter Griggs (11), Will Harris (11), Alex Tellers (11), Elisio Galilindo (11), and Kathryn (Kat) Seaton (11).
Olympic Concert Band
The Olympic Concert Band was conducted by Henry Dorn, and were the first group to go. They started by tuning their instruments while Dorn introduced himself.
The first song they played was “The Cave You Fear” by Michael Markowski. This music piece was inspired by the famous quote “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek,” which symbolizes the journey into the unknown and embracing life’s challenges.
The second song was “The Grace in Being” by Julie Giroux. This is a powerful music piece commissioned in memory of a philanthropist who valued education named Donald Johnson. This piece is about embracing your true self.
“The Thunderer” by Ryan George was the third piece the Olympic Concert Band played. It was a much needed light-hearted piece, named after its march-like beat.
Fourth was “Halle’s Light” by Ryan George, which was conducted by Ron Gerhardstein, one of the directors for PLU. This song is made to remember the life of Halle Holland, which was commissioned by Dr. Tonya Millsap and the Glenn C. Jones Middle School band and is dedicated to the school’s principal Rich Holland and his family, in memory of Halle.
Finally, they played “A Hornet’s Nest” created by Henry Dorn, who was conducting this concert. He said he was commissioned by UNC Charlotte. He made this piece to showcase the rich history of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Cascade Concert Band
This concert band was conducted by Daniel Cook. They were the last of the concert bands.
They began by playing “Fanfare Esprit” by Carol Brittin. This piece is an upbeat melody to start off the second group’s playlist of music.
Kathryn Salfeder wrote “Reminiscence” that was played second. This was one of three pieces commissioned for Frank L. Battisti’s 85th birthday in 2016. This is a complex piece that evokes nostalgia, yearning, and growth. It has moments of angst and calm, which makes it a very interesting piece to listen to.
The third piece was called “Amparito Roca” by Jaime Texidor, arranged by Gary Fagan. This is a Spanish piece Texidor named after his young piano student. It is a ‘pasodoble’ which is a lively, Spanish march.
Matt Vegh, one of the directors, conducted the fourth song, “Lindbergh Variations” by Robert Sheldon. This piece was commissioned by and written for the Fletcher Junior High School Band in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. It was commissioned to remember Charles Lindbergh’s child and his tragic death.
Lastly, Daniel Cook came back to conduct “Caribana Afterparty” by Omar Thomas. This is a celebratory piece, where everyone in the audience clapped along with the band to end the show with a bright, lively song.
Both Concert Bands did an excellent job and worked extremely hard to learn their music. They only got the rest of their sheet music the day before they had to perform, so they had less than 48 hours to practice and study and prepare. They sounded very professional and like they spent months preparing, and all of the conductors and people in the audience applauded them and celebrated them.
