There’s a lot of things that I do that I might not get away with if I stayed in college. Kids are bigger. They hit back,” said Dr. Mario Chiarello.
He paused for a moment. “That’s a joke.”
Tucked into the intersection between upper and lower E-wing traffic, it is not difficult to pass the orchestra room without a second glance. It is, however, significantly more of a challenge to miss Dr. Chiarello. Passing these doors, it is not uncommon for muffled shouts, spirited punchlines and staggered harmonies to bleed into the hallway. Extensive musical achievements have defined his 27 years at LHS, with an arsenal of daring jokes and charming stories making it difficult to imagine that his legacy will be forgotten anytime soon.
Having served as orchestra director since 1998, Dr. Chiarello will step into retirement at the conclusion of the 24-25 school year. His impact on the program, however, will not leave with him. Though notorious at LHS for his somewhat unorthodox teaching methods and distinctively commanding presence, Dr. Chiarello strives to create a safe environment for his own students and places special emphasis on individualized—often forceful—personal instruction.
“I get them to know that I’m yelling at them because they’re close to getting it, not because they suck,” said Dr. Chiarello. “I don’t yell at the people who suck—if I quit yelling, then that’s when you should be upset.”
Being such a pillar of LHS culture also means that Dr. Chiarello has witnessed its growth and development over the years. He has worked to shape the orchestra program to accommodate an evolving student body. From just 31 orchestra members during his first year of teaching to a current 117 participants, there were a total of 54 freshmen signed up at the beginning of this year. During his time as orchestra director, Dr. Chiarello has transformed a program once dominated by exclusively experienced musicians into an engaging space for all willing participants.

“This orchestra’s possibly the best orchestra I’ve ever had,” said Dr. Chiarello. “We bring the best kids, and in bringing the best kids, we bring the kids who want to learn the most.”
Dr. Chiarello also teaches AP Music Theory and helped to introduce a new guitar class last year. As for his distinct teaching methods, he prioritizes creating a sense of trust between him and his students. Though reports of *allegedly* thrown chairs are sure to accompany any mention of his name, the orchestra’s successes attest to the method behind his madness. A calculated balance between joking time and working time aims to improve receptiveness and establish a more productive classroom setting. Walking into the orchestra room, offhand one-liners, strong language and a tolerance for talking can be a striking part of this dynamic.
“It gets people to know that I trust them, so they start trusting me,” said Dr. Chiarello. “You have to have a balance between drive, drive, drive and having fun.”
Dr. Chiarello’s path to becoming a teacher was also outside of the conventional. Before he settled at LHS, he studied at Interlochen Arts Academy, the Eastman School of Music as well as the University of Iowa, all of which are regarded for their prestigious music programs.
“Every time I’ve had a big change in my life, it wasn’t because I decided upon it. God just sent me down a different path,” said Dr. Chiarello. “But this is where I was supposed to be the whole time.”
And, though he previously taught at the college level, teaching high schoolers was his introduction to conducting.
“I didn’t train to be a teacher,” said Dr. Chiarello. “I trained to be a performer.”

However, as principal bass player for the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (SDSO), Dr. Chiarello has been able to draw inspiration from his own conductors, namely SDSO music director Delta David Gier. Though specifics like volume and speed have to be modified to be suitable for a high school level orchestra, implementing these kinds of techniques has helped him raise the group to a higher standard.
“Chiarello’s teaching style is very confident. He’s very assertive and, different from other teachers, he likes to say things very bluntly and right in your face,” said LHS junior Giyun Seo. “It’s really effective for the orchestra because that way our rehearsals are very productive and efficient.”
With such a unique dynamic under his guidance, Dr. Chiarello’s shoes may prove difficult to fill. Even so, the group will strive to welcome whatever changes lie in their future.
“It’s very uncommon for someone to be able to have that much confidence coming into a new building,” said Seo. “I want whoever the new director is to really be comfortable with the orchestra, [and to] be comfortable with telling the orchestra what they want. I think our goal as orchestra [students] is to give them that confidence.”

As a marker of his time at LHS, Dr. Chiarello’s final concert will be held at the Washington Pavillion on May 13, 2025. Alumni present, the orchestra will perform a series of pieces ranging from the theme of Supernatural to a 5-minute-long commissioned work, all of which tie into his journey in this position. Dr. Chiarello’s final piece will be the Farewell Symphony.
“As a conductor, I’m losing the best instrument I’ve ever had,” said Dr. Chiarello. “I will never be able to make the kind of music that we’re making right now.”