Beachwood Schools Orchestra

05/09/2026

Two Beachwood Orchestra students have been recognized for their outstanding achievements, earning honors at the state level.

Beachwood Middle School student Medha Iyer earned second place at the state level of the National PTA Reflections competition. In addition, she also placed second at the state level for the Ohio Federation Music Composer Junior competition for her original composition titled “Flying North in D Major.” Medha will be featured in the 2026 Ohio Junior Composer Booklet that will be published in June, while also being invited to perform her piece at OFMC’s Junior Day in October.

Arynne Chang, a student at Beachwood High School, has been selected by the Contemporary Youth Orchestra (CYO) as a featured student composer for her original composition titled “Still Life”. This was written as part of the C Y We Write program, which connects students with composers within the Cleveland Composers Guild who act as mentors for students. Arynne’s composition will be performed at the CYO’s spring concert on May 9.

05/04/2026

BHS Orchestra Student, Arynne Chang, has been selected by the Contemporary Youth Orchestra (CYO) as a featured student composer for her original composition, Still Life, which she wrote as a part of the CY We Write Program. Her composition will be performed by CYO at their concert this Saturday May 9th!! Congratulations, Arynne!!

05/01/2026

Maya and Farai are also amazing eighth grade orchestra musicians!! Congratulations to them both!!!

Two Beachwood Middle School students received recognition in the 2026 Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out and Youth Sing Out Contest. Maya Bourguignon won second place in the Poetry division, while Farai Chiunda earned an Honorable Mention award in Poetry.

The Maltz Museum, which hosts the annual contest, announced the winners during an awards ceremony on April 14. The Stop the Hate Contest provides students with an opportunity to use their voices through essay, poetry, and song writing to help build a more accepting and inclusive world. This year, more than 3,600 students from 150 Northeast Ohio schools participated in the program.

04/29/2026

04/24/2026

For the 21st consecutive year, the Beachwood City School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.

Now in its 26th year, the award program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents/guardians, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education.

Beachwood is one of just 57 districts in Ohio to receive the award this year and one of 1,008 honored throughout the country.

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs

04/24/2026

Eight of our BHS Orchestra students had the opportunity to perform side-by-side with the Case Western Reserve University Orchestra's on Wednesday evening! Each student dedicated countless hours of practice towards preparations and exercised high level musicianship in a collegiate orchestra setting. They also had the opportunity to play professional orchestral repertoire like the last two movements of Beethoven Symphony No. 6! Congratulations, Leo, Rafi, Yuewen, Olivia, Abby, Arynne, Kiran, and Holden!!

Thank you to Dr. Horvath, Dr. Hankins, and the rest of CWRU's amazing music staff for working with us to create this incredible opportunity for our students!!

04/10/2026

Sixth grade violinist Medha Iyer won 2nd place in the Ohio PTA Reflections program for an original string quartet piece that she composed! More info included below. Congratulations, Medha!!

Established in 1969, the National PTA Reflections program invites students from pre-K through grade 12 to express themselves through original artistic works. This year, participants explored the theme "I Belong" across various categories, including music, film, and visual arts.

Medha earned second place at the state level for her original musical piece, Flying North In D Major. Her composition captures her personal experience of navigating a new school district and fostering meaningful friendships.