On May 26, Edina’s Concert Orchestra brought their strings to the outdoor stage at the Centennial Lakes Amphitheater to perform the fifth annual Coacello concert. Coacello is a free, public concert that the Concert Orchestra assembles. It includes small group performances, whole ensemble arrangements, and songs featuring Edina choir and band members. 

“It’s a good way to get to more than just Edina families because there are just random people sitting up watching,” senior cellist Rowan Ungerman said. “It’s nice to get out of Fick and have somewhere outside to play.” 

The first half of the show showcased the small ensemble pieces selected and performed by groups of Concert Orchestra members that got to choose their own arrangements and partners. “The students took the idea of the small ensembles to the next level, which was always what Coacello was supposed to be about. It wasn’t hard to motivate the students to work on their own because they were motivated by themselves,” director Nick Gaudette said.

The ensembles began with Concert Orchestra sophomores teaming up to play “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish, and ending with a group of seniors playing a medley from the 2016 film “La La Land.” “I think it’s really fun that we get to play in small groups and pick our own songs,” sophomore cellist Beatrix Wood said. 

“We probably started preparing two months ago with choosing a piece and a group to work on. I’m excited for my small group [because] it’s a small group of my friends,” Ungerman added.

 As groups performed, other Concert Orchestra members got to watch and support their classmates. “When students cheer super loud for other students’ performances it just shows this amazing amount of support and that’s what is so heartwarming to see,” Gaudette said. 

Although this was the final concert for many Concert Orchestra seniors, Coacello served as a memorable final performance. “This is our fifth year of Coacello and my fifth year as well, so I’ve done all of them. I’m sad because this is my last time playing with the group, but I mean, it’s special,” Ungerman said.

The encore of Coacello’s set concluded with the full Concert Orchestra performing an arrangement of U2’s “With or Without You.” “It’s my senior sendoff, to them. With or without you, they don’t need me, they can be on their own,” Gaudette said.