BVA, Monessen students to perform at Heinz Hall

A group of Mon Valley student performers will take the stage — among some of the best musicians in Pittsburgh — this weekend at Heinz Hall.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will be performing “A Night at the Oscars: Hollywood Epics” under the direction of conductor Jack Everly, and more than a dozen area students will be accompanying them with The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Student Chorale.
The group, created by the late Principal Pops Conductor Marvin Hamlisch and Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh Music Director Emeritus Robert Page, includes high school and collegiate singers from the greater Pittsburgh area.
This year, 10 students from Belle Vernon Area and 10 from Monessen, are involved in the group in addition to about 15 other students from surrounding districts.
Dimitri Apodiakos, 14, a freshman at Belle Vernon Area High School, is among the young performers who will take the stage Friday.
For the past several weeks, Dimitri and his fellow performers have been rehearsing to prepare for opening night.
The show will take audience members on a musical journey through themes from more than one dozen award-winning Oscar films including “Gone with the Wind” and “Titanic.”
Other songs, like a piece from Exodus, have been challenging, but he has taken time outside his normal rehearsal schedule to practice.
“I don’t mind putting in the work because it is really rewarding,” Dimitri said.
He is most looking forward to performing the melody from “Titanic.”
“It has always been one of my favorites and I get really excited to sing it,” he said. “It is also something I was familiar with, so it came pretty easy.”
While he is not new to the stage and has been involved with chorus and musicals at Belle Vernon, he said he has never performed on such a large stage.
“I was a little nervous about it at first, but it has been really fun so far,” Dimitri said. “Being with my classmates and making new friends through this has been really great.”
He has never performed with such a well-known group or saw the symphony live.
“I am really excited to see what this is going to be like,” he said.
“Everyone talks so highly of them, so I feel like it is an honor for all of us to be sharing the stage.”
Students in the group will rehearse at Heinz Hall for the last time tonight before their debut.
“A Night at the Oscars: Hollywood Epics” will open 8 p.m. Friday at Heinz Hall with additional performances at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets range from $22 to $99 and can be purchased online by going to pittsburghsymphony.org.
“It is going to be a great show and we have been working really hard for it,” he said.
“I hope everyone makes it out. There will be a lot of familiar songs everyone knows and it is going to be a lot of fun.”
Apodiakos, who is the son of George and Ronalyn Apodiakos of Washington Township, will perform with fellow BVA students Shannon Zelinsky, Elizabeth Breckenridge, Sara McCloskey, Ezra Johnson, Kaden Gray, Gabriel Reed, Brandon Tielsch, Robby Spekis and Anthony Stone.
Monessen students who will perform are Milana Sacco, Quenten Zboyovsky, Jenna Wilson, Madison Bennett, Albert Johnson, Josh Anderson, Anthony Mauro and Savannah Johnson.