Undoubtedly among the most talented performers and musicians at LHS, senior Sophia Schoen has never been a stranger to the spotlight. Since the beginning of her musical career in fourth grade, her passion and skill in music have only increased. From performing on LHS’s gymnasium stage to New York City’s Lincoln Center, Schoen’s fervor follows her wherever she goes.
From a young age, Schoen was drawn to music, specifically theatre. “When I was younger, my parents raised me watching Les Misérables, and ever since seeing my first Broadway show, Aladdin, I’ve known musical theatre is something I wanted to pursue,” she said. Since then, Schoen has participated in school concerts, New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) festivals, musicals, All-County, and Long Island String Festival Association (LISFA) festivals. While Schoen often performs as a vocalist, she also has experience playing the viola. Orchestra teacher Veronica Underhill said, “I met Sophia as a freshman in orchestra class. My first impressions were that she was a strong player in multiple ways. She was able to sight read very well; had excellent intonation off the bat; played with a clean, powerful tone; and responded to every bit of feedback that I gave in rehearsal.”
Entering LHS, Schoen was awed by the countless possibilities and opportunities. “Between Performance Fridays in chorus and Cabaret Night, I felt like I was given a numerous amount of performance opportunities. I was also super excited to audition for the fall musical and spring plays,” she said. As a freshman, she was accepted into treble choir after auditioning the previous year and participated in mixed chorus, where she took advantage of the options presented to her. Currently, Schoen is a part of concert choir, show choir, and Lynbrook’s National Music Honor Society (Tri-M). She has participated in various Performance Fridays; concerts; and auditions for chorus, theatre, and Tri-M. Senior Angelina Macchia explained, “Sophia is an asset to concert choir and theatre; she knows how to help others when they need, and also knows how to project her voice and use her musical knowledge to support the class.” Also, Schoen has taken part in school musicals and plays each year. “As a freshman, I played an angel in Anything Goes and a citizen in Our Town. When I was a sophomore, I was Judah in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Marci in Almost, Maine. One of my more notable roles was playing Rizzo in Grease,” Schoen explained. She continued, “I had always dreamed of landing the role of Rizzo, and when I did, I was ecstatic.” Most recently, Schoen played Rosie, from the hit movie and musical, Mamma Mia!
Outside of school, Schoen attends the Long Island High School of the Arts (LIHSA) in Syosset. After auditioning her sophomore year and getting accepted her junior year, Schoen said, “LIHSA has been consistently incredible throughout my high school experience, supplying me with endless professional opportunities that continue to foster my performance skills.” Schoen also attended the Norwalk Conservatory Summer Pre-college Intensive for musical theatre, where she received additional training to enhance her performance skills.
In college, Schoen intends to pursue musical theatre and earn her master’s degree in education.
