Carson High junior selected for Carnegie Hall Honors

Carson High School junior Drea Cabral has been selected to perform under master conductors of the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall in New York City from Feb. 1 to 5. She will have a chance to meet other young musicians from around the world, build her performing resume and visit New York’s famous landmarks.

Cabral was chosen from more than 18,000 students who applied for a position and will play among two to four clarinetists in the orchestra. She will have an opportunity to enjoy the city’s performing arts scene as she attends a Broadway show and use her skills at a Carnegie Hall performance or finalist celebration depending on the ensemble.

“I found the program online and then I talked to my lesson teacher about it, and he was like, ‘We’re going to do it, OK?’” she said. “I got nominated for it since I got into all-state, and everyone who got into all-state was nominated, and I prepared my audition and recorded it and sent it in.”

Cabral began playing music as a fifth-grader at Carson City’s Bordewich Bray Elementary School with Alan Catron as her music teacher. Her mother, Heather Cabral, said she continued playing through middle school, then Drea learned alto sax and bass clarinet in the seventh grade. She has served as first chair clarinet in CHS’ wind ensemble, section leader for the school’s Blue Thunder marching band, principal clarinetist for the Reno Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Northern Zone Music Education Association Honor Band and the Nevada All State band, all the while maintaining a 4.6 grade point average, Heather Cabral said.

CHS band director Nicolas Jacques said the school will be well-represented through Cabral.

“This gives her an opportunity to use her skills way beyond what we expect,” Jacques said. “I’m really proud of her.”

Cabral has been a student with Jacques for six years before he moved up as Carson Middle School’s band director to Carson High.

“It’s familiar, and I feel like I can be myself,” she said as a student of Jacques’ music program. “I think I’ve learned how to play in an ensemble and blend and balance, and from private lessons, how to be a soloist and do auditions.”

Drea Cabral said the trip to New York in February will be her first. Her conductors soon will send her the pieces she will have to prepare.

“I’m excited to learn what (others’) programs are like,” she said.

She said she was glad her hard work paid off to be selected, sharing she takes notes in a journal and keeps herself disciplined and on schedule.

“I’m taking four (Advanced Placement) classes, I’m going to school and then having marching band after school and couple hours of homework,” she said. “I only get to start practicing after 10 p.m. I feel bad for my family who has to listen to me squeak out high notes as they’re trying to sleep.”

But her mother argued otherwise.

“I am so tremendously proud of her,” Heather Cabral said. “It’s hard to say she keeps us awake when we are being serenaded by her at bed.”