In Thursday’s (3/22) Wall Street Journal (New York), Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim writes, “The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra was founded in the spring of 1972 by cellist Julian Fifer and a group of musicians frustrated with the professional options available to them. Over the decades, it has grown into one of the best-loved ensembles on the scene, all the while pushing the limits of what is feasible without a conductor. … On Saturday, the Orpheus takes to Carnegie Hall with a program of Americana that pairs the mandolin concerto of bluegrass virtuoso Chris Thile with Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring; this past Sunday, composer-in-residence Gabriel Kahane curated a related concert with a contemporary spin at the more intimate Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn, N.Y. … In the early years, the rotating position of concertmaster was democratically elected for each concert, leading to intense lobbying. … ‘It was too time-consuming,’ [cellist Melissa] Meell says. Today, an elected executive committee of players assigns the position for each work; the concertmaster then chooses the leaders and co-principals of the other sections, who form the so-called core. … Everyone is expected to know the entire score. During rehearsals, players take turns walking out into the auditorium to check for sound and balance and then report back to the ensemble.” Check out Jennifer Melick’s preview of the Thile work, coming soon to SymphonyNOW.
Orpheus rehearsal photo by Leah Harrison; Chris Thile photo by Cassandra Jenkins
Posted March 22, 2012
