Arts Student of the Week-Ava Pres

Niwot sophomore Ava Pres started playing the cello as a sixth-grader at Sunset Middle, but long before that, the instrument became a source of fascination to her, thanks to some sibling rivalry.

"When I was really little, my brother started playing the cello," she said. "It was really funny, because I wasn't allowed to touch the cello that he played, so I was always really curious what it sounded like and what it would be like to play."

Her brother's cello career didn't last, but Pres has made the most of hers. Currently, she is principal cello in Niwot's Symphony Orchestra and first chair in its Pro Arté Ensemble. According to Keynes Chen, the school's orchestra director, she is "a very talented musician" and a "very hard worker" who serves as a role model for her fellow musicians.

"Ava has been a huge contribution to our orchestra program here at NHS," he wrote in an email interview. "With her strong leadership in our program, she draws respect and love from other students."

Chen also noted Pres' obvious passion for the music she plays, and her deep sense of connection to it, a perception that she confirmed.

"I really enjoy playing music because of the feeling I get from playing," she said. "For example, when I play in an ensemble, which is a small chamber group of about four people, you have to communicate in a form that is utterly unique to classical music. And it's a sense of connectedness that I think is only in that kind of form of music."

When playing, Pres is partial to the "very unique" Baroque period composers, J.S. Bach and his cello suites in particular.

"Once I got to play real Baroque music, I learned that Bach can connect specifically with the cello in a way that I don't think any other composer has even come close to doing," she said.

The talented cellist has plenty of time to consider her post-graduation options, but said that she plans to make music a part of her future. She also had kind words for Mr. Chen, calling him "a wonderful teacher."

"He pushes all of his students to be very creative, and he brings out the creative side in all the musicians," she said.