Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com

A Brighton orchestra student was able to put her substantial talent on display recently at the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids.

Mallory Hopka, a Scranton Middle School violist, was chosen to be part of the 2024-25 Michigan Middle School Honors Orchestra, which performed late last month in the West Michigan city. The 13-year-old eighth grader is the daughter of Kristie and Michel Hopka.

Only the top musicians in each instrument were selected out of over 2,700 middle and high school students that auditioned. The students who survived the rigorous audition process had the opportunity to rehearse with top-notch conductors for two days before performing on Jan. 25th at the Michigan Music Conference.

Hopka is the first Brighton Orchestra student to have been selected to perform in the all-state orchestra since the formation of the program in 2017.

One might ask the difference between a violin and the viola, which are very similar instruments. The viola is larger than the violin and has a richer, deeper sound.

Jennifer Evans, the orchestra director at Scranton, tells WHMI that Mallory being chosen to lead the viola section “is a testament to her exceptional musical abilities,” with Evans praising her “dedication to honing her skills and her understanding of music’s expressive depth.”

The Brighton Area Schools’ orchestra program, in existence since 2017, was championed by former superintendent Greg Gray and past assistant superintendent of business & finance Maria Gistinger.The concept was to start with a program in fifth grade only and to add one grade every year. Now in its eighth year, the program has over 200 students overall, and for the first time this year extends all the way from 5th grade through high school.

Evans says the orchestra program is thriving, with enrollment and retention steadily increasing. She says, “Our students are mastering skills at all levels, preparing and performing appropriate and diverse (music) and learning how to work within a team. The young musicians have the opportunity to broaden their skills with private lesson, participation in all-state ensembles orchestra festivals and performing as the pit orchestra in Brighton High school musicals."

The student musicians also attend one concert of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra each year. They are supported by the Brighton Orchestra Boosters, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The group bolsters the orchestra by providing equipment, classroom supplies, concert music, guest instructors, and doing fundraising.

Anyone interested in joining the Brighton Orchestra Boosters can get more information at https://brightonorchestraboosters.org