Bach Society Orchestra of Harvard University

Bach Society Orchestra of Harvard University

The Bach Society Orchestra, known as BachSoc, is Harvard's premier chamber orchestra. The orchestra is staffed, managed, and conducted entirely by students. Each year, the members of the orchestra select the next year's conductor, always an undergraduate. In turn, at the beginning of the new year the inaugurated conductor auditions new and returning members of the orchestra.

BachSoc generally performs 4 times a year, with concerts featuring works for chamber orchestra - interpreted broadly to include intimate chamber pieces as well as mid-sized symphonies - taken from an eclectic set of historical periods. Works featured in recent seasons have included Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3, Beethoven's Symphonies 6 and 7, Barber's Adagio for Strings, Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf (narrated by the Reverend Professor Peter J. Gomes), and Villa-Lobos' Sinfonietta No. 1.

The Bach Society Orchestra has been an official undergraduate organization of the University since the 1954-5 academic school year. At its founding, the orchestra loosely devoted itself to performing the music of J.S. Bach; since then, the repertoire has grown to span the historical continuum from baroque to the contemporary. The orchestra's annual composition and concerto competitions have become respected institutions of the Harvard music scene. Alumni include cellist Yo-Yo Ma, composers John Adams and John Harbison, conductors Alan Gilbert, Isaiah Jackson, Christopher Wilkins, Hugh Wolff, and Samuel Wong, and members of top American symphony orchestras.

An excerpt from History of Music at Harvard to 1972 by Elliott Forbes (Harvard UP: 1988) describes the beginnings of BachSoc:

"The 'Musical Club of Harvard University,' as it was called upon its founding in 1898, took on new life after World War II. The idea of a chamber orchestra was broached for the first time in 1947. Then in 1951 an organizational meeting of the Harvard Music Club was called to discuss the forming of a chamber chorus and orchestra. The next year a catalogue was compiled of all Harvard and Radcliffe musicians, and finally in the academic year 1954-55 were founded the Bach Society Chorus, Howard M. Brown '51, conductor, and the Bach Society Orchestra, Michael L. Greenebaum '55, conductor.

"The chorus was soon disbanded, but the Bach Society Orchestra has continued to flourish. Greenebaum continued as conductor for a second year, then as a graduate student. Starting with his successor Michael Senturia '58, who led the orchestra from 1956 to 1958, the conductor has always been an undergraduate, chosen either by an independent jury or by the orchestra members acting as a collective jury."

External links

* [http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~bachsoc/index.html The Bach Society Orchestra official website]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Harvard College — Established 1636 Type Private Dean Evelynn M. Hammonds …   Wikipedia

  • Harvard Glee Club — The Harvard Glee Club is a 60 voice, all male choral ensemble at Harvard University. Founded in 1858 in the tradition of English and American glee clubs, it is the oldest college chorus in the US. [cite web… …   Wikipedia

  • Harvard Musical Association — tocrightThe Harvard Musical Association is a private charitable organization founded by Harvard University graduates in 1837 for the purposes of advancing musical culture and literacy, both at the University and in the city of Boston. Though… …   Wikipedia

  • University of Oregon — Latin: Universitas Oregonensis Motto Mens agitat molem Motto in English The mind moves the masses …   Wikipedia

  • List of Yale University student organizations — There are a number of student organizations at Yale University.The Yale Political Union, the oldest student political organization in the United States, is often the largest organization on campus, and is advised by alumni political leaders such… …   Wikipedia

  • Johann Sebastian Bach — redirect|BachJohann Sebastian Bach (pronounced|joˈhan/ˈjoːhan zeˈbastjan ˈbax) (31 March 1685 smaller| [O.S. 21 March] ndash; 28 July 1750) was a German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Brown University people — The following is a partial list of notable Brown University people, known as Brunonians. It includes alumni, professors, and others associated with Brown University. Notable alumni Note: Class of is used to denote the graduation class of… …   Wikipedia

  • Cornell University Glee Club — Seal of the Cornell University Glee Club Background information Origin Cornell University in Ithaca, New York …   Wikipedia

  • Brown University — The Brown University Seal Latin: Universitas Brunensis Motto In Deo Speramus (Latin) Motto in English …   Wikipedia

  • Cornell University Chorus — Founded in 1921 as the Cornell Women s Glee Club, the Cornell University Chorus tradition of excellence has been formed by high standards of musical achievement and versatility from all corners of the university. The Chorus, under the skillful… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”