Starting practice at five years old, senior Ilana Meisler said she has become a very proficient violinist.

“A friend of mine brought his (violin) into school in kindergarten and played it for us,” Meisler said. “At the time I only knew of guitar, piano and violin, so I just decided I wanted to play violin.”

Park orchestra director Miriam Edgar said she has been teaching Meisler for four years and said Meisler is a leader in the program.

“(Meisler) is a very, very hard worker. She often comes down (to the orchestra room) on her open hours to practice her instrument,” Edgar said. “She is always very helpful to other students. She has a lot of leadership and she has lots of good suggestions.”

Meisler said she joined the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) five years ago.

“I joined GTCYS because the middle school I went to didn’t have an orchestra, so I didn’t ever get to play with any other people,” Meisler said.

According to Edgar, her time in GTCYS  gave her a lot of valuable experience.

“I love GTCYS. I actually was in GTCYS from sixth grade until I was a senior,” Edgar said. “GTCYS gave me a lot of opportunities.”

Edgar said she learned a lot of valuable lessons about musicianship and leadership in music through GTCYS.

“I had the opportunity to be a co-concertmaster my senior year, which helped me be both a principal second violinist and a concertmaster in college,” Edgar said. “(GTCYS) gave me a lot of skills such as how to run a sectional, how to talk to your peers, (how) to give constructive feedback without sounding like a jerk.”

Meisler said she enjoyed the variety of instruments she was able to play with in GTCYS.

“I like the sound (of GTCYS) because it’s really cool to hear different instruments, not just from your family of instruments,” Meisler said. “You get to hear french horn and bassoons and harps as you’re playing.”

Edgar said Meisler has a very good work ethic as a musician.

“She is very goal-oriented and she works hard for what she wants,” Edgar said. “She practices really hard, she takes lessons and she constantly is asking for constructive feedback and how to be better, which is awesome.”

According to Meisler, she is in the second best orchestra in the program and she enjoys playing at the last concert of the year the best.

“My favorite GTCYS concert is the spring concert because all of the orchestra’s at the concert will play one piece together and it sounds really cool,” Meisler said. “There’s so many of us that we have to stand in the aisles. We’re all over (Orchestra) Hall playing the song.”

According to Edgar, GTCYS is very important for Meisler.

“She takes her (GTCYS) seating auditions seriously and (she practices a lot) for GTCYS auditions,” Edgar said.

Meisler said she loves the violin because it gives her something stimulating to think about.

“I like playing the violin because it gives me something challenging to focus on and it feels good (when I) accomplish something,” Meisler said.

According to Edgar, the orchestra program will miss Meisler next year.

“She’s an awesome violinist,” Edgar said. “She is definitely a valued member of our orchestra, and we are very lucky to have her, both in orchestra and in chamber.”