CHAMBER MUSIC AND ORCHESTRAL ACTIVITIES AT BRYN MAWR AND HAVERFORD COLLEGE

ORCHESTRA

The Haverford/Bryn Mawr College Orchestra currently has over sixty members and has performed a wide range of the standard symphonic repertoire including Bach's Third Brandenburg Concerto, Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, Dvorak's G Major and New World Symphonies, Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony and Respighi's Pines of Rome as well as premieres of new compositions by Haverford Professors John Davison and Curt Cacioppo.

The orchestra rehearses 7 to 9:30 on Thursday evening with one to two performances a semester. In addition to the regular scheduled rehearsals there are small sectionals scheduled on an irregular basis. Throughout the semester woodwind, brass and string sectionals are scheduled with top professionals on those instruments.

Selected players have the opportunity to perform with the College Chorale in an orchestra made up of students from the Curtis Institute, Haverford College faculty members, and professional musicians from the Philadelphia area. This group has performed such works as Mendelssohn's Elijah, Grand Opera Choruses, and Handel's Israel and Egypt, in which students worked and performed with Baroque specialist Nancy Wilson.

CHAMBER MUSIC

The chamber music program is exciting and open to all instrumentalists. Students perform works such as Shostakovich Piano Quintet, Beethoven String Quartets Op. 59, Nos. 1 and 3, Schumann Piano Quintet, Weber Clarinet Quintet, Mozart Flute Quartet in D Major, Mozart Oboe and Flute Quartets, Brahms and Mozart Clarinet Quintets. There are various venues for performances both on and off campus including concerts combining both chamber and solo performances, as well as off campus performances as part of The Chamber Music Connection.

Every year there are opportunities to perform in master classes with exciting internationally renowned musicians, such as members of the Ying and Mendelssohn String Quartets, and violinist Robert McDuffie. This year students will perform in master classes with artists from the Colorado and Cavani String Quartets and the American Brass Quintet.

Please Note: Both Orchestra and Chamber Music may be taken with OR without credit. Students should sign up with the Registrar under MU215 (Orchestra) and MU216 (Chamber Music).

PRIVATE STUDIES

This year there are over 400 students participating in faculty and student-led ensembles and private lessons between Haverford and Bryn Mawr. Partially subsidized lessons with any of the fine professional musicians in the Philadelphia area are also available to students at Haverford and Bryn Mawr College. We have a list of teachers for approved study, many of whom are graduates of the Curtis Institute of Music, or teach at the Curtis Institute, Temple University, and perform with major musical organizations in the city. Also, unlike the situation at a school with a conservatory or large music department, non-majors aren't crowded out of opportunities to sing or play in a fine ensemble or perform as a soloist with one of our choirs or orchestras.

If you want to know more in detail about instrumental music at Haverford, please feel free to call Heidi Jacob at (610) 896-1010 or inquire via e-mail (hjacob@haverford.edu).

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