Dinis Perez '23 Angela

From: Caracas Dist.

What has been the hardest adjustment you've had to make?

Federal, Venezuela

Current Grade: 12

Entered SSM: Grade 7

ANGELA: Learning a new language is not easy and coming here at age 11 was a real challenge because of how young I was. I miss my family very much and due to the political turmoil happening back home I don't get to see them often.

What has been your favorite thing about your experience as an international student?

ANGELA: Meeting other international students because I get to learn about different world views and educate myself on subjects I might have not known otherwise. Also, I love sharing my culture with others and I find it amazing that there are so many people out there who respect it and appreciate it!

What advice would you give to future international students at our School?

ANGELA: There will be times when you will think it is not worth it, times when you will want to give up, times when you will feel lonely. But always remember that the lessons and values you are learning at Shattuck-St. Mary's will always stay with you in your life journey.

We want to thank these students for their insightful contributions to this story, and to all of Shattuck-St. Mary's international students for their continued commitment to making International Day the best day of the school year!

On April 18, Dina Duatova ’23 performed her senior piano recital in front of her SSM family at Sundin Hall on the Hamline University campus. Her recital was the culmination of her senior initiative ScholarShift® project, in which she performed concerts to help raise money for various organizations that were important to her. And when she wasn’t busy with that, she competed in a variety of competitions throughout the year, including the Schubert Club Bruce Carlson Scholarship Competition, in which she was a finalist.

Classical music is an exceptionally beautiful art form that has been around for centuries, yet its remarkable value is often undermined by the popular music of today, a sentiment Dina knows all too well. “People value three-chord pop songs much more than complex classical masterpieces,” she says, comparing the likeness of being a classical musician in this day and age to what it would have been like for Taylor Swift in the 1700s. “However, the amount of work required for a classical musician to reach the level of a solo recital is pretty impressive—10 to 20 years of commitment, discipline, and training. I’m in my 15th year of playing professional piano and haven’t quit ... I must either like it that much or feel too ashamed to quit that far in my journey,” she said with a laugh.

We greatly admire and acknowledge Dina and our Pre-Conservatory students for all of the hard work and dedication that goes into their daily training and are grateful to them for bringing the profound influence of classical music to the Shattuck-St. Mary’s community and beyond.

Shattuck- St. Mary’s Vocal Performance Center of Excellence student Adelina Mukhametzhanova ’26 added another honor to her increasing list of accolades as she recently placed third in the Music Teachers National Association Senior Performance National Competition in Reno, Nevada.

As the West Central Division champion, Adelina was one of just six finalists, out of thousands of entrants, to make it to the national competition. The MTNA National Conference is the premier music competition in the country. It features events in the categories of brass, piano, piano duet, string, voice, and woodwind.

SSM Vocal Performance Program director Peter Schleif lauded his pupil. “Adelina’s third place finish at the MTNA National Competition is truly remarkable,” said Peter. “Thousands of student musicians enter this competition at the state level, so by the time you get to nationals, the cream has truly risen to the top. I believe that Adelina’s hard work and incredible attitude are what will help her continue to succeed. She embodies the SSM vision of being committed to excellence, integrity, and innovation.”

Adelina’s third place performance is just the latest in a whole slew of honors and awards for the young artist. Apart from her regional MTNA victory, she also won the Minnesota NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) vocal competition this fall.

Director Anna Smith, Ellen Smith ’24, Angela Dinis Perez ’23, Ella Krahmer ’26, Dominique White ’23, Lucas Xiang ’25, Socks Smith ’23, My Vo ’23, Alice Rivetta ’24, Shelley He ’25, Ellie Girard ’28

Back row, L-R: Nora Hanson ’27, Tiffany Ogunsemi ’23, Abby Ma ’23, Shelley He ’25

The Performing and Visual Arts Department put on two spectacular productions in 2023. In February, the cast and crew of David and Lisa offered audiences a sensitive, thought-provoking, and awareness-building performance focused on a pair of adolescents who form a delicate friendship. This year’s Spring Musical was The Fantastiks, the world’s longest running musical. The tender, sweet, and nutty love story premiered off-Broadway in 1960 and ran for 53 non-consecutive years, and has been performed in 67 countries. We commend all of those involved in making these shows memorable additions to the Shattuck-St. Mary’s theatre catalog!