By Allie D’Angelo ’20

The Levitt Pavilion kicked off their 50 plus night summer season with a sold out audience to view the third annual Pops concert on June 8. The concert featured the Staples Symphonic Band and Orchestra, the Jazz Band and the Orphenians.

“I’m thrilled that in just three years the partnership between the Staples High School music program and the Levitt [Pavilion] has become such a wonderful tradition,”  First Selectman Jim Marpe said. “It’s a clear demonstration of the musical and artistic heritage that’s so deeply woven into the fabric of our community.”

Performers in the show were viewed by a packed crowd consisting of locals as well as out-of-towners to listen to the music. Zoe Macris ’20, a member of the Sophomore Orchestra, found the program’s music to be a way to unite many who attended the event.

“You can see a lot of the community came to watch this concert and I think that a big thing about music is bringing people together,” Macris said.

Spectator Jake Trock ’20 concurs with Macris, as Trock believes the concert served as a way to bring together many different members of the community. “I think it generally unites a lot of people that we don’t really see very often,” Trock said.

The event also announced the retirement of Staples Director of Orchestral Music Adele Valovich and served to honor her lasting impact on the Staples music program. “It is a challenge to measure the value of one whose contributions are without measure,” James Naughton, actor and host of the event, said. “The extraordinary quality of Staples orchestral music and Adele’s impact on it are synonymous.”

Jessica Xu ’18, a member of the Symphonic Orchestra, also found Valovich’s retirement to be emotional for many musicians at Staples.

“I think it’s very exciting that we got to perform at [the] Levitt [Pavilion] for the last time and see Ms. Valovich at her retirement [speech] is very emotional. I’ve known her for probably seven years now,” Xu said.

Gabe Sargent ’20, a member of the Sophomore Orchestra, acknowledged the value and outcomes of commitment that Valovich taught to her students during her time conducting the orchestras.

“The tribute to Ms. Valovich, I thought, was really impressive and it was really nice to see how much the entire community respects her,” Sargent said. “I think Ms. Valovich has taught all of us the importance of hard work and dedication in music and how that produces a result.”