This year has presented unprecedented challenges, but it has also given citizens of Peachtree Corners time to reflect on past successes, moments of joy and the things that make this city great. The city has many wonderful features to offer, chiefly technological advancement, business development and scholastic excellence. Yet Peachtree Corners’ most valuable resource continues to be the people that live, work and thrive within its borders.

2019 Norcross HS Drum Majors

Abby Lewis, Evan Johnson, and Bailey Lesko

Vicki Lu performing with the University of Georgia Flute Quartet in 2019

Friends for Life in Band!  Headed to NHS!

Cam Watts (NHS c/o 2016) took his love of music to Milledgeville’s Georgia College & State University where he played in the school’s Wind Symphony while earning a degree in Economics. During his time there, Cam became GCSU’s principle Clarinetist and founded the school’s Pep Band, both of which he credits to the rigor of the NHS Band program and the mentorship he received from Mr. Ventura and Mr. Newman. However, Cam had to step away from music this past academic year as he went abroad to study economics at Oxford University and international business in Heidelberg, Germany. Returning home in May, Cam is spending his summer as a Policy Fellow for State Representative Beth Moore and is excited to finish his studies back in Milledgeville this Fall.

While at Norcross HS, Abby Lewis and Joshua Konfrst both performed with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO) during the 2019-2020 season. Joshua and Abby were also members of the NSH Wind Symphony. The ASYO is a youth ensemble associated with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Evan Johnson, a Norcross High School student, feels his time in the Marching Band, Scouts (attaining Eagle Scout ranking) and volunteering has helped him grow as a person and given him a sense of belonging to a larger community. Another great City of Peachtree Corners, Georgia #20Under20 kid.

The Sky Is the Limit for Five Norcross High School Grads

Micah Wilkinson has enjoyed a varied career as an orchestral musician, soloist, chamber artist, and teacher. He was appointed Principal Trumpet of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by Music Director Manfred Honeck in September 2017. Wilkinson came to the Pittsburgh Symphony from the San Diego Symphony, where he served as Principal Trumpet for three years. He previously held positions with the Houston Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the Oregon Symphony, and the Tucson Symphony. He performed recently in subscription programs as Guest Principal Trumpet with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Seoul Philharmonic.

As a featured soloist, Wilkinson has been noted for his "virtue of taming the brilliance he employs so well in many massive orchestrations to that gentle, liquid line." In the 2020-2021 season, he is scheduled to make his Pittsburgh Symphony concerto debut, performing Haydn's Trumpet Concerto, conducted by Manfred Honeck.

As a chamber musician, Micah Wilkinson has been recognized for his "complete confidence and refreshing catalogue of contrasting colors" and has been frequently featured on NPR's Performance Today. Professional summer festival appearances have included the Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Institute, Sun Valley Festival, Cabrillo Festival, Brevard Music Center, Round Top Institute, Bellingham Festival of Music, and Astoria Music Festival.

As an educator, Wilkinson strives to help the next generation of brass players to find their own unique voices as musical artists. He is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after instructors for trumpet in the United States and enjoys working privately with students at his home studio in Pittsburgh and online through virtual platforms. He recently edited and released the "Book of Solos," a curated collection of 30 professional trumpet solos, which includes his commentary on performance and historical context.

In the summers, he has taught at the Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Institution School of Music, Round Top Festival Hill Institute, and the Brevard Music Center. He also has served on the faculties of the University of Houston and Portland State University, and has presented master classes and clinics for colleges and universities all over the United States, as well as in Europe and Asia.

Micah Wilkinson grew up in Norcross, Georgia. A proud graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, he pursued additional studies at Arizona State University and the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany. His primary teachers include Martin Hodel, David Hickman, Larry Black, and Anthony Plog. He lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh with his wife Stefani, a professional oboist, their beautiful daughters Eleanor and Amelia, and their goofy Basset Hound Barber.

Learn more and connect with Micah Wilkinson at micahwilkinson.com.

At a concert conducted by Maestro Mariss Jansons at the Berlin Philharmonie not too long ago, a student of St. Olaf college in Minnesota on a study abroad program purchased a “standing room” ticket, and sat behind the principal trumpet just a few feet away. Works on the program that evening included Shostakovich Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, and Sibelius Symphony No. 2. That student took a photo of the view (first photo below) and wrote in his journal that he wondered if it was possible that such a position could be his one day. On Tuesday, October 30, that student, Micah Wilkinson, had a new view at the Berlin Philharmonie, performing as Principal Trumpet of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.