Health & Fitness
Visit to Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inspires UMd. Musicians
Over the past semester members of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra have been teaching the University of Maryland School of Music students the art of a conductor-less ensemble.
By: Kara Neil
Going to New York City to watch the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra rehearse the Brahms Violin Concerto at the DiMenna Center has been one of the highlights of my undergraduate experience here at Maryland.
The members of Orpheus were extremely welcoming and open to all of our questions related to their experience in a conductor-less concert or just their own development as classical musicians.
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Observing Orpheus’s rehearsal taught me a lot about leadership in a conductor-less setting. I was amazed at how receptive and respectful members of the orchestra were to comments from other members, and seeing a group of musicians all equally dedicated to creating music was inspiring. When I first found out Maryland was going to perform a conductor-less piece of music, my original reaction was concern that rehearsals were going to either be chaotic with everyone talking at once or awkward with no one talking at all!
Although sometimes multiple people in Orpheus’s rehearsal were talking at once, the entire group came to decisions with the added leadership of the rehearsal coordinator and members of the “core.” In addition, since every member of the ensemble had equal dedication to performing the music, the rehearsal was productive for them and beneficial to my own musical and leadership development in our orchestra at Maryland.
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After observing this rehearsal, rehearsing Haydn’s Symphony No. 90 without a conductor and with members of Orpheus back at Maryland has been a fantastic experience. I am a member of the “core,” which means that I help lead the rehearsals, and this has given me the opportunity to dig deeper into the music and hear things as a conductor would.
The Orpheus members are there to guide us through the process and offer ideas related to the music or our own productivity as an ensemble. Partnering with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has been a unique experience that will aid me in my own musical development and career, and I am looking forward to our performance of Haydn’s Symphony No. 90!
When: Sunday, Dec. 04, 2011, 5 p.m.
Where: Dekelboum Concert Hall, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
