About the MHSO-DJO Orchestral Exchange Program
(scroll down for slideshow & videos)
Detmolder Jugendorchester & McLean HS Philharmonic Orchestra visited the United States Embassy in Berlin, 2018
Two high school orchestras, one from Detmold, Germany and the other from McLean, VA USA have been conducting a unique and significant relationship for over 20 years.
The German orchestra is the Detmolder Jugendorchester from the Christian-Dietrich-Grabbe-Gymnasium in Detmold. The American orchestra is the Philharmonic Orchestra from McLean High School in McLean, VA. The exchange began in 1994 when the McLean High School Orchestra, then under the direction of Bettina Skaard, traveled to Germany to present concerts in Detmold and a nearby town. Each orchestra presented separate concerts, but the response to the idea of an exchange was very positive.
Interest in establishing a longer-term relationship was pursued by the conductor of the Detmolder Jugendorchester, Joachim Bergmann, with the new McLean High School orchestra conductor, Gretta Sandberg, who succeeded Ms. Skaard in 1995. These conversations culminated in a second trip to Detmold in 1998 by the McLean Chamber Soloists. This time the orchestras combined forces in a joint concert before an enthusiastic, standing-room crowd in the Neue Aula of the Grabbe-Gymansium in Detmold on January 29. The students from McLean stayed in the homes of the Detmold youth musicians, rehearsed with them and established relationships that continued beyond the week-long visit.
Thus began a unique exchange of students, music and good will. The McLean group has traveled to Detmold eight additional times since 1998 - in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. The 2001 trip occurred just before the onset of the war with Iraq and the 2020 trip occurred before the widespread COVID-19 pandemic, both of which were world events that led Fairfax County Public Schools to establish a temporary bans on international travel for school sponsored trips for periods of time. The trips to Detmold have been described by some of the McLean musicians as "life-changing". The American students have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the Detmolders and the importance that music plays in the lives of the people of Detmold. Strong friendships have developed between the two groups of musicians, with many personal trips back and forth between the two cities. A blossoming love has developed between two cellists, one form McLean and one from Detmold, who met on the 2001 trip. As previous orchestra directors from both sides of the Atlantic have said, "You can't be an enemy of someone if you play music together!"
The German orchestra has visited the McLean in 1999, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015. 2017, and 2019. During this time, the baton was passed to a new director in Detmold, Udo Mönks. He shared the baton with Ms. Sandberg during the May 2007 concert at the Craighill S. Burks Theater in McLean High School. The concert, featured music of Bach, Mendelssohn, Smetana, Johann Strauss, Jr. and Gershwin and included two pieces where the McLean HS Choral Department joined the orchestras. Following the retirement of Ms. Sandberg from McLean HS in 2009, the baton was passed to Mrs. Katie LaBrie, who made her first exchange visit to Detmold in January, 2010, followed by a passing of the baton to Ms. Starlet Smith, alumni of McLean High School who participated in the German Exchange Program herself! Upon Mönks's retirement in 2017, Florian Wessel was announced the new director of the Detmold Youth Orchestra. Ms. Smith and Mr. Wessel have become great friends and love bringing the students together musically and culturally!
During the exchange in January of 2018, the orchestras visited the United States Embassy and interim ambassador, met the coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation of the German Federal Foreign Office, and put on a special performance at the John F. Kennedy School in Berlin.
The MHSO and DJO are looking forward to continuing the exchange for years to come!
The German orchestra is the Detmolder Jugendorchester from the Christian-Dietrich-Grabbe-Gymnasium in Detmold. The American orchestra is the Philharmonic Orchestra from McLean High School in McLean, VA. The exchange began in 1994 when the McLean High School Orchestra, then under the direction of Bettina Skaard, traveled to Germany to present concerts in Detmold and a nearby town. Each orchestra presented separate concerts, but the response to the idea of an exchange was very positive.
Interest in establishing a longer-term relationship was pursued by the conductor of the Detmolder Jugendorchester, Joachim Bergmann, with the new McLean High School orchestra conductor, Gretta Sandberg, who succeeded Ms. Skaard in 1995. These conversations culminated in a second trip to Detmold in 1998 by the McLean Chamber Soloists. This time the orchestras combined forces in a joint concert before an enthusiastic, standing-room crowd in the Neue Aula of the Grabbe-Gymansium in Detmold on January 29. The students from McLean stayed in the homes of the Detmold youth musicians, rehearsed with them and established relationships that continued beyond the week-long visit.
Thus began a unique exchange of students, music and good will. The McLean group has traveled to Detmold eight additional times since 1998 - in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. The 2001 trip occurred just before the onset of the war with Iraq and the 2020 trip occurred before the widespread COVID-19 pandemic, both of which were world events that led Fairfax County Public Schools to establish a temporary bans on international travel for school sponsored trips for periods of time. The trips to Detmold have been described by some of the McLean musicians as "life-changing". The American students have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the Detmolders and the importance that music plays in the lives of the people of Detmold. Strong friendships have developed between the two groups of musicians, with many personal trips back and forth between the two cities. A blossoming love has developed between two cellists, one form McLean and one from Detmold, who met on the 2001 trip. As previous orchestra directors from both sides of the Atlantic have said, "You can't be an enemy of someone if you play music together!"
The German orchestra has visited the McLean in 1999, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015. 2017, and 2019. During this time, the baton was passed to a new director in Detmold, Udo Mönks. He shared the baton with Ms. Sandberg during the May 2007 concert at the Craighill S. Burks Theater in McLean High School. The concert, featured music of Bach, Mendelssohn, Smetana, Johann Strauss, Jr. and Gershwin and included two pieces where the McLean HS Choral Department joined the orchestras. Following the retirement of Ms. Sandberg from McLean HS in 2009, the baton was passed to Mrs. Katie LaBrie, who made her first exchange visit to Detmold in January, 2010, followed by a passing of the baton to Ms. Starlet Smith, alumni of McLean High School who participated in the German Exchange Program herself! Upon Mönks's retirement in 2017, Florian Wessel was announced the new director of the Detmold Youth Orchestra. Ms. Smith and Mr. Wessel have become great friends and love bringing the students together musically and culturally!
During the exchange in January of 2018, the orchestras visited the United States Embassy and interim ambassador, met the coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation of the German Federal Foreign Office, and put on a special performance at the John F. Kennedy School in Berlin.
The MHSO and DJO are looking forward to continuing the exchange for years to come!
FCPS video on the McLean HS visit to Detmold in 2014:
https://youtu.be/0gJ15DI1U80?si=Bhu_HckJTZf_J7kf
Article from The Connection newspaper about the German's visit to McLean in 2015:
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2015/may/26/together-music/
Home-video made by German student of their visit to the United States in 2017:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2roXq_AkOtg
Article in The Highlander Newsmagazine from our 2018 trip to Germany:
https://thehighlandernews.com/12878/news/mclean-orchestra-travels-to-germany/
Video from the local news station in Detmold, Germany about our exchange trip in 2018:
https://youtu.be/HqsdLjtD32A
Video from the McLean HS morning news show about our exchange trip in 2018:
https://youtu.be/pS3PAnJ7AyU
Please enjoy the following recordings from our exchange in the USA in May of 2015:
Holst's "The Planets," IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity https://youtu.be/0LmRvAf7Aps
Bach's Toccata and Fugue in d minor, arranged by Stokowski https://youtu.be/9dHqQapRLAw
Weber's "Der Freischutz" Overture https://youtu.be/p35WeShhfjg
Gerswhin's "An American in Paris Suite" https://youtu.be/LqQC-cgfUH0
Offenbach's "Orpheus in the Underworld" Overture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le2baCIbIGs
Please enjoy the following recordings from our exchange in the USA in June of 2017:
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq1z0BUm6PU
Peer Gynt Suite No. 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQBw5PYe4-s
Finlandia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrifS2tblOQ&t=158s
Please enjoy the following recordings from our exchange in the USA 2019:
"West Side Story" medley by Leonard Bernstein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epsM8sAeFNA
Thank you to Michael Winn for helping video tape and edit the videos, alongside RonArt Associates for providing the audio.Marius Kochsiek
https://youtu.be/0gJ15DI1U80?si=Bhu_HckJTZf_J7kf
Article from The Connection newspaper about the German's visit to McLean in 2015:
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2015/may/26/together-music/
Home-video made by German student of their visit to the United States in 2017:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2roXq_AkOtg
Article in The Highlander Newsmagazine from our 2018 trip to Germany:
https://thehighlandernews.com/12878/news/mclean-orchestra-travels-to-germany/
Video from the local news station in Detmold, Germany about our exchange trip in 2018:
https://youtu.be/HqsdLjtD32A
Video from the McLean HS morning news show about our exchange trip in 2018:
https://youtu.be/pS3PAnJ7AyU
Please enjoy the following recordings from our exchange in the USA in May of 2015:
Holst's "The Planets," IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity https://youtu.be/0LmRvAf7Aps
Bach's Toccata and Fugue in d minor, arranged by Stokowski https://youtu.be/9dHqQapRLAw
Weber's "Der Freischutz" Overture https://youtu.be/p35WeShhfjg
Gerswhin's "An American in Paris Suite" https://youtu.be/LqQC-cgfUH0
Offenbach's "Orpheus in the Underworld" Overture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le2baCIbIGs
Please enjoy the following recordings from our exchange in the USA in June of 2017:
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq1z0BUm6PU
Peer Gynt Suite No. 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQBw5PYe4-s
Finlandia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrifS2tblOQ&t=158s
Please enjoy the following recordings from our exchange in the USA 2019:
"West Side Story" medley by Leonard Bernstein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epsM8sAeFNA
Thank you to Michael Winn for helping video tape and edit the videos, alongside RonArt Associates for providing the audio.Marius Kochsiek
The trips to Detmold have been described by some of the McLean musicians as "life-changing". The American students have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the Detmolders and the importance that music plays in the lives of the people of Detmold.