Only awe and excitement were present from the last row of the Round Top Festival Institute’s neat wooden chairs to the front of the golden-lit stage. The concert hall’s vintage aesthetic and old-fashioned chandeliers brought the auditorium to life as Westwood’s Symphony Orchestra played their hearts out on the afternoon of Friday, May 2.

After receiving superior ranks at the Orchestra String UIL competition, the orchestra decided to take their skills to the stage at the Round Top Festival at Round Top, Texas, to record Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7, Respighi’s Pines of Rome, Mvt III, and Gustav Holst’s Jupiter, from The Planets for upcoming competition submissions for the Texas State Honor Orchestra award. The award allows the orchestra to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention.

“It was both our first time and Mr. Thompson’s first time going to Round Top,” Violinist Jeemin Oh ‘27 said. “We were all incredibly excited. We heard the concert hall was beautiful, and it definitely lived up to the hype.”

Unlike their usual performance stage, the Raymond E. Hartfield Performing Arts Center (PAC), the hall at Round Top was smaller. It had excellent acoustics and beautiful decorations, and the interior was made of wood, giving it an “old-style” appeal. 

“It was such a wonderful experience to perform in that incredible hall,” Oh said. “It wasn’t a modern space like the PAC, but more of a classic, old-fashioned style [concert hall] which made it feel even more special. I got to spend  time with my friends, and our performance sounded amazing.”