Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart earned gold rankings across the board at the Heritage WorldStrides Music Festival, April 21-23, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Competing alongside high schools from 6 different states, gold awards were won by the Kaleidoscope Choir, under the direction of Jesse Borower; the Woodlands Academy Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Matthew Hickey; and the student-led Microscope Choir, under the direction of senior, Clara Bartusiak.

Borower and Hickey are ecstatic and proud of their students’ achievements. “I’m incredibly proud of how our students rose to the occasion both as musicians and as teammates,” Borower, Woodlands Academy’s Music Director, said. “The care and respect that they had for one another was evident from the concert stage to the line dancing floor. For me, that’s what being in a musical ensemble is all about.”

In addition to their award-winning performances, vocal and instrumental musicians from the all-girls college-prep high school in Lake Forest enjoyed various activities in Nashville. The trip included a concert at the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, exploring downtown Nashville, and a night of line dancing and live music at the famous Wildhorse Saloon.

Last year, the Orchestra and Choirs, Kaleidoscope and Microscope, traveled to St. Louis to participate in the Heritage Worldstrides Music Festival. Woodlands’ ensembles received all the highest honors, and several students were recognized for their exceptional contributions.

WorldStrides OnStage Heritage Festivals provide opportunities for middle and high school musicians to visit one of more than 20 cities in the U.S. and abroad, perform for nationally acclaimed adjudicators, and learn from the feedback they receive.