After a 2-year hiatus, we were thrilled to see this 35-year-old ASH tradition come back to the stage this past Friday as one of our signature musical programs. Let's take a minute to rewind and explore how this showcase of talent came to be, as well as enjoy some of the photos from the evening performance. 

“I am very excited and honored to be a part of the world premiere of “Songs from the Lowlands” to be presented at this year’s Extravaganza. This will be my last Extravaganza after almost 5 decades of teaching music. No two days have ever been alike. Teaching music to young students - nothing could be more rewarding.” Jim, music teacher

“I wrote ‘Songs from the Lowlands’, a special musical piece that is one of the first of its kind. The 12-minute medley of songs captures Dutch folklore and history. I’m looking forward to hearing the result, it will be a lot of fun. The song will be performed in old Dutch by all of the 200+ musicians.” - Johan, guest composer

“I really enjoyed Extravaganza. It was an awesome experience to work with the amazing musicians in Excelsior, as well as Johan De Meij. Having the guest conductor be the person who wrote the piece was such a unique experience. Being able to be a part of the making of this work was once in a lifetime, and I’m super happy that I was able to be at ASH and be a part of Extravaganza.” - Jasper, student

If you want to learn more about the history of Extravaganza, check out this link:

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