Alexa Caballes performs a solo in past orchestra concert

By Margo Moore

Alexa Caballes, ’22, is a highly talented soloist in the Redwood Chamber Orchestra.

She has played the violin for a very long time, first starting in her fifth grade year with private lessons at Grace Note Music School.

Seven years later, she has made her way to the position as a soloist in the Redwood High School Chamber Orchestra. She is seated in the second chair meaning she is one of the more talented violinists in the group.

According to Caballes, what inspired her to make her way there is that she, “wanted to experience playing [her] instrument beyond playing in an orchestra, and [she] wanted to take a step further in [her] career as a musician.”

Caballes’ journey to becoming a soloist started when she first began playing the violin at Grace Note. She started learning solo music right away and soon began playing in her elementary school orchestra, performing at the school’s seasonal recitals.

In her most recent concert on October 26, she, “was able to perform a solo piece that [she] felt perfectly suited [her] and the musical identity [she] developed over the years.”

Being a soloist, Caballes feels a lot of pressure, but she is able to cope with it through experience, “It is something I learned to do as I grew up playing; I told myself that if I am able to play at home, I should be able to play in front of others,” she says.

However, that October concert, “was a new experience since [she] had never performed with an orchestral accompaniment,” Caballes explains.

But luckily, “it felt better having the orchestra’s support, and [she] was confident in how [they] would sound,” Caballes expresses.