The Sycamore Electric Ensemble, or SEE1, holds its concert on Feb. 13 featuring soloist and electric violinist Joe Deninzon. SEE1 is Cincinnati’s first high school rock orchestra run by orchestra director Mr. David Smarelli. The group is designed to blend rock and classical music and musicians.

The invited soloist, Joe Deninzon, rocks out. Deninzon plays the electric violin and sings for the New York- based group Stratospheerius. SEE1 played many of Stratospheerius’s pieces including “One Foot in the Next World” and “Ballad for Ding Bang.”

Senior Andrew Leonard and sophomore Luis Del Moral Lopez sing backup with Deninzon for the piece “Fire” by Jimi Hendrix. Leonard was eager to sing because he also participates in SHS’s theater program and musicals. Leonard has played the violin in SEE1 for four years and shed tears during his final solo.

The group was smaller than past years, having only one cello and three violins. Freshman and second violinist Sophia Ramos plays her first SEE1 concert. The group had many new members with four out of the nine musicians being freshman (Ramos, Jenna Bao, Adhiti Chundur, and Adrian Oliver).

Senior Yusuke Hibino and sophomore Peter McCutcheon play the guitar and the bass respectively. Hibino improvised for multiple solos throughout the concert. McCutcheon also had a challenging solo in the piece “Hysteria” by Muse.

Deninzon and Del Moral Lopez interact as they play, enhancing to the performance. The group, particularly the new members, worked extensively on moving to the music and putting on a show, an aspect of a rock group more than a classical orchestra. Deninzon interacted and played with the group, unlike previous soloists like Christian Howes and Mark Wood.

Sophomore Maxwell Demarks plays the electric cello. Demarks joined the group halfway through the year right before their performance at the winter concert. He was aided by his experience with rock music from his band, where he plays the guitar.

Since SEE1 is a rock group, orchestra and SEE1 director Smarelli does not conduct. Instead, the group stays together with the drum set played by freshman Adrian Oliver. Oliver plays the bassoon in the SHS band and the Cincinnati Youth Symphony Orchestra Concert Orchestra.

The performance, complete with a professional light show and audio, left the stage rumbling and the audience cheering. Like true rock stars, group members signed autographs after the show. The group also performed at the Unified for Uganda concert in May.