Hello all,
I hope you are having a wonderful summer. Audition materials (strings) for Fall 2015 are now posted on our website under the “Auditions” tab. For wind/brass/percussion, you will either play two contrasting etudes/solos, or you will have specific pieces/excerpts given by your studio teacher. Dr. Dorsey is working with the studio faculty to get those excerpts compiled and posted. We hope to have this completed by August 15. For questions, ask your studio teacher.
Hello all. We will be performing Tchaikovsky Symphony #4 to begin next season. Here is a great introduction to the piece with the Chicago Symphony and Alexander Polianichko, incidentally whom I studied Tchaikovsky #5 with in St. Petersburg a few years ago. Please watch it and get excited!
Last night’s concert was incredible on many levels. I think most of us found it it especially exciting to play on a professional stage. It brought a new level of energy that invigorated our performance. The Bach was well done and felt very comfortable last night. Bravo Zeke. The Faure was beautiful with lovely wind solos and the choir sounded fantastic. The Ravel was sublime. The opening was truly transcendent. The Pantomime had some wonderful solos (congrats to Sarah, Bashar, Annissa, oboe trio, etc), and the Danse Gènèrale was over the top! Amazing energy and preparation. I think this one really impressed. Bravo. I consider it a great honor to be your conductor and I am so proud of your accomplishment!
Next week, we host an international level conducting workshop. Please do your very best for these young talented conductors as they work with you and Maestro Varon from Eastman. Let’s represent the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance well as these musicians get their first impression of you so they share with others how great you are. See the rehearsal schedule for details.
Last night, I witnessed an incredible, albeit marathon concert last night. It was a joy to see such talent from our school on display and I want to congratulate both finalists, and the honorable mentions and finalists from the orchestra.
Winners:
Honorable mentions from our ranks in the orchestra:
Finalists from our ranks in the orchestra:
Bravo everyone!
Violin I
Mary Evans
Bashar Matti
Violin II
Chris Ives
Anne Wolfe
Viola
Annissa Olsen
Hannah Breyer
Cello
Natalie Parker
Nora Willauer
Bass
Kyle Sanborn
Application deadline for the UO Conducting workshop is March 20. As long as you complete the online application by March 21 you will have full consideration. Application fee can be mailed separately and must be received by March 30. See below for full post.
The University of Oregon Summer Conducting Institute is designed for nine experienced, pre-professonal conductors to learn how to better use both musical creativity and gesture to get more of what you want from the orchestra. Master teacher Neil Varon from the Eastman School of Music will show participants how to achieve both technical and musical clarity to their beat in both piano/string quintet and full orchestra sessions. Dr. David Jacobs, Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Oregon will assist Maestro Varon and give a one-on-one debriefing session to each participant during the course.
Applicants who not offered participant status are encouraged to attend as auditors. Auditors may observe all podium sessions and participate fully in all lectures. Auditors may also have some one-on-one contact with the workshop faculty as the schedule permits. First time workshop attendees and those who are considering graduate conducting studies are particularly encouraged to attend as auditors to gain valuable workshop experience.
Each conducting participant will receive ample podium time in both string quintet/piano sessions and full orchestra sessions. Every participant will conduct at each one of the conducting sessions. Participants will be video recorded, so please bring a high-speed SD card to ensure quality. Expect to play your primary instrument during string quintet/piano sessions when not conducting.
Tuition
Repertoire
*All participants will prepare the Copland. In addition, you may choose 1-2 pieces in which to focus. Each movement of a symphony is considered a separate choice for this purpose.
To apply: Click here to complete the application. To complete your application, you must submit a $35 application fee made payable to University of Oregon SOMD. Application deadline is March 20.
Questions? e-mail David Jacobs at djacobs@uoregon.edu
What last year’s participants are saying:
Thank you all for a marvelous concert last Saturday. The Vaughan-Williams was sublime. We really made some beautifully profound sounds, especially in the Romanza. Thank you so much for your passion and excellence! Natalie will be sending out a link to the recording soon. In the meanwhile, enjoy excerpts from the Romanza.
Here are the following Beethoven excerpts for playing exams during week one:
Finale numbers may be different depending on your edition. (Alternate measure numbers are in parentheses)
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Cello and Bass **For cello and bass players who are auditioning for UOCO, I will use your video as your audition for UOCO.
Woodwinds
Brass
Instead of coming in and playing for me personally, please video record all of the excerpts and send me a link via e-mail by Monday, January 13. If you do not have the equipment for a video recording or the confidence in being able to upload it, you may make an individual appointment to play for me during week one. I will have availability 1/6 (before orchestra), 1/8 (11-3), 1/9 (11-5) for students who play for me live. You must either submit a video recording or play for me live by Friday, January 10 to receive full credit.
Play excerpts at the following tempos:
I hope that all of you are enjoying the snow that we’ve had lately. Although it cancelled our last rehearsal, I think we will still be in good shape for the Winter term if we adequately prepare the Beethoven and Shostakovich over the break. There will be a playing test in week 1:) All PDF parts are up on the website and some bowed physical parts to the Beethoven will be available before the end of finals. Any of those physical parts that aren’t bowed will be ready for our first rehearsal in January, and in the meanwhile you can print up your own practice part from the PDF over break.
I wanted to take a moment and reflect on some of our successes this term. You did an excellent job preparing the Bruckner and performed it for a practically full house at Beall. Congratulations on a great start. I received lots of positive reviews and feedback for that concert and we continue to impress the Eugene and University community with our work. For those involved in the newly formed Chamber Orchestra, you did a remarkable job preparing the Mozart in short order. My idea for that ensemble is to rehearse quickly and perform at the highest level – no “woodshedding” in rehearsal. You came through and I was very pleased with your performance of the Mozart. I also look forward to the upcoming Chamber Orchestra works such as David Crumb’s Vestiges in the winter, and Aaron Copland’s 13 instrument version of Appalachian Spring in the Spring. It’s a great opportunity for a more professional model within our normal schedule/workload.
We were able to read two additional major works (Berlioz and Shostakovich) and did so well that it made sense adding them to the Joe Alessi concert. Finally, we had an opportunity to inspire younger students from West Salem by playing the Bruckner and Berlioz with them last week. That experience was far more than good PR. We shared our artistry with younger students and opened up a new sound world to them. You never know what impression your words, actions, or music-making made. I’m sure some of them now love music even more, and some may even have been inspired to take their own music-making to the next level. From my perspective, you carried yourself with great professionalism and treated them with respect and kindness. I thank you so much.
During the Q&A session, I told the W. Salem students that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. All of you make me love my job and I am so thankful that we get to do what we love at every rehearsal. I look forward to a tremendous winter term filled with awesome repertoire, a world-class guest artist, and spending time together loving the symphonic repertoire more every day.
Have a restful and fulfilling Winter Break!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jacobs
The chamber orchestra will be continued next term. We will hold string auditions to determine placement during the first week of classes in January. The work is David Crumb’s Vestiges of a Distant Time. Excerpts from the audition will be taken from this work. You may find the parts as well as a recording at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u6vtq4fscaaoesi/fJhZd8RQ2a. Since the double bass part is so basic, I will audition basses on major excerpts from Beethoven #5 which will determine both chamber orchestra personnel as well as Beethoven #5 seating.
uosymphony 