Chiara Giordani ’18
Orchestra: Violin
“I’m thrilled to have played in the pit
orchestra for Mary Poppins! I have
played in three shows for St. Francis’
Theatre Department and loved them. Playing for a musical takes
time, patience, and technique, and playing for Mary Poppins has
tested me in all of those areas. Because there was no part written
for violin in this show, I adapted and played a flute part. After
many rehearsals, tears, laughs, and performances, being a part of
something this special is worth it. Though it can be frustrating
being in the dark for the entire show and having to make adjustments to what the actors and directors want, playing in the pit is
very rewarding. I love making the magic happen and helping the
actors shine. As a musician for Mary Poppins I have grown in my
musicality, technique, and love for music. I am definitely looking
forward to playing more St. Francis shows in the future!”
Music has been a part of Chiara’s life ever since she can remember.
She was inspired to play the violin when she first saw her older
sister, Francesca, go to lessons. Chiara has always pushed herself
to play at higher levels and develop a mature musicality. She is a
student of Angelo Moreno and has performed with many ensembles including the Davis High School Baroque Ensemble, the
Sacramento Youth Symphony, the Davis High School Symphony,
the UC Davis Baroque Ensemble, and CSU Sacramento’s
Capistrano Hall. Chiara’s favorite part of performing is traveling
to amazing venues (her favorite is Carnegie Hall in NYC!) and
playing duets with her sister. She went to Italy on her first international tour as a soloist with the Davis High School Baroque
Ensemble and is looking forward to her second tour to Austria and
Italy in the summer of 2017.
Francesca Giordani ’17
Orchestra: Violin
“The pit? What on earth is the pit?
People asked me in horror when I told
them I was playing the violin in the pit
for the school’s fall musical, Mary Poppins. No, no, don’t worry!
It’s not a pit of doom; rather it’s the orchestra pit…. the mysterious place where the best kind of behind-the-scenes magic
occurs… beneath Cherry Tree Lane. The pit orchestra, nestled
between the first row and the stage, holds the show together.
Without the orchestra, there would be no magical sound that
played while Mary Poppins pulled her hat stand out of her bag.
We make the show a musical. We help the vocalists shine. Most
people don’t realize that a two-minute song requires five hours
of rehearsal—maybe more. In this particular show, there are no
violin parts—I played the oboe part on a violin. As a musician, I
had to adapt to the music to make it work. My experience playing in Mary Poppins has made me a better musician, musically
and technically. I am very fortunate to have participated in such
a large production and I look forward to making more magic for
the school’s future musicals.”
Francesca discovered the thrill of music and the beauties of the
violin when she was a very young child. She has played with the
Sacramento Youth Symphony, the Davis High Baroque Ensemble,
and the Davis High Symphony and has played in numerous
prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall. She loves performing, especially duets with her sister, Chiara. Francesca plans to
continue her study of music and the violin throughout her life, and
hopes to pursue a career in the sciences.
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