This year’s 27th Annual Xanadu Concert was a huge success, unequivocally expressing Xanadu’s mantra that Creation Is Activism.  Musicians and poets act as activists when they come together to use their talents to make a difference. The special evening of entertainment, organized by Whitman’s award-winning online literary magazine, Xanadu, and the high school’s recording studio club, The Collective, provided a wonderful showcase for our school community’s numerous talented poets, vocalists, and musicians.

This year’s concert raised $3,200 for the high school’s state-of-the-art recording studio. The evening’s success is all thanks to the efforts of Xanadu performers, musicians from The Collective, and Walt Whitman’s National English Honor Society members. The Collective, Whitman's Recording Studio Club, is a unique school program that showcases the extraordinary talents of our student musicians and songwriters, representing the creative and artistic spirit of the South Huntington community. It gives our students an outlet to practice their craft in songwriting, recording and sound engineering. 

Chairperson of Music, Art and Dance and The Collective advisor Matt Hoffman, and co-advisor Vito Monti, would like to thank Xanadu founder, Walt Whitman English teacher Joe Pipolo, for his “tireless efforts” organizing this event each year and contributing to the recording studio’s growth. “Every year, he uses a lion's share of Xanadu ticket sales to support the Whitman recording studio program. Our gratitude is beyond measure,” said Mr. Monti.

Xanadu students and advisor Joe Pipolo, and The Collective students, co-advised by Vito Monti and Matt Hoffman, delivered yet another stunning array of student and faculty talent from Whitman. Thank you to our musicians and poetry readers: Lucas Hill, Oliver Hill, Nick Guarini, Asad Sadiq, Alexander Bass, Nevyn Jerez, Analia Cimadevilla, Bryan Mendoza, William Martinez, Lily Brown, Ella Brenner, Gabe Raynor, Alex Maddalena, Jake App, Lucy Maniatis, Ava Hedstrom, Luke Vaughn, Franklin Parada, Antony Gamez, Grant Borden, Sienna Leaver, Julia Dean, Abigail Burkitt, Chris Ortez, Sarah Pratt, Jose Canales, Peyton Galgano, Becket Loomis, Will Lang, Addison McCready, Bronsyn Chiechi, Marin McDonnell, Matthew Hoffman, Vito Monti, Greg Modelewski, David Rickmers, Liz DeMonte and Jon Varlamos.

See more photos from this year’s event here.

Missed the show? See it here.

Before the February recess, Whitman’s students took the stage to share their musical talents and poetic creations.

Faculty members, including WWHS Assistant Principal Jon Varlamos, joined student performers for a few musical numbers.

Poets from the high school’s National English Honor Society were encouraged to share their original pieces in front of the attuned audience.

Thank you to everyone who came out in support of this always memorable evening of creation!