Renton High School Orchestra performs with Seattle Symphony

By Bailey Josie • March 11, 2026 5:15 pm
Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing Renton High School Orchestra students were paired with professionals from the Seattle Symphony at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center.
Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing Renton High School Orchestra students were paired with professionals from the Seattle Symphony at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center.

As part of the Seattle Symphony’s Side-by-Side Concerts series, the Renton High School Orchestra had the chance to rub elbows and share music stands with some of Seattle’s best musicians on March 6.

The free concert at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center was led by Seattle Symphony conductor Sunny Xia and RHS instrumental music director Jackson Bores. The evening showcased the talents and potential of the school’s orchestra, which was made up of violins, violas, cellos and stand-up basses, who opened the show with Benjamin Britten’s “Simple Symphony.”

The high school students, who were all taught to play through the school district’s music classes and not through private lessons, were then joined by the Seattle Symphony’s orchestra unit to play Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Allegro” from “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” and Tom LaJoie’s arrangement of of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Spring” from “The Four Seasons.”

To finish off the evening, the Seattle Symphony’s string section was joined by a harp, percussion, woodwind and brass to play Felix Mendelssohn’s “The Hebrides” (“Fingal’s Cave”) and Suite No. 1 of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,” which the Seattle Symphony will perform at the Seattle Opera from May 2-17.

The Renton High School Orchestra includes:

• Violin I: Jasmine Abinoja, concertmaster; Sophia Pham, assistant principal; Kevin Tang; Chris Ramirez Eligio; Abigail Elias; Ben Hang; Lena Huynh; Gadiel Baladjay.

• Violin II: Naomi Dancer, principal; Alaysia Mekavong, assistant principal; Mike Nguyen; Micah Vu; Yen Phan; Kenny Spicknall; Dulce Nuñez; Selena Duran; Melanie Merida-Flugencio; Abby Esparza.

• Viola: Aleena Souvannavong, principal; Madison Smith-Nelum, assistant principal; Jayden Santillan Perez; Mia Nguyen; Ryan Miller; Lia Huynh; Hannah Nguyen; Camryn Inaba; Eden Hill; Emma Berry; Maileah Logan.

• Cello: Kayla Marie Pasag, principal; Georyne Agdeppa; Sophie Buchan; Aisa Miyata; Maggie Agdeppa; Christopher Cave; Jesus Sanchez; Christian Keith-Martinez; Shadae Burton.

• Bass: Tracy Ngo, principal; Maya Franada; Ealla Molina; Alondra Ruiz Guadalupe; Ah’Mia Johnson.