“Side by side” is where you’ll find the College Symphony Orchestra musicians and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra on March 4.
Led by conductors Dr. Emily Schaad of SUNY Fredonia and Conductor and Artistic Director JoAnn Falletta of the BPO, the special project is a unique collaboration that will position 90 students in the Fredonia student ensemble alongside the high-caliber professional BPO musicians in a performance at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, NY.
Concertgoers will be treated to Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's “The Bamboula” op. 75 (Rhapsodic Dance) and Antonin Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, op. 95 “From the New World.”
Area Fredonia alumni and friends are invited to a special pre-performance reception from 6 until 7:15 p.m. in Marcato (lower level of Kleinhans) to celebrate the special performance, support Fredonia’s student musicians, and contribute to the university’s Bicentennial celebration of 200 years of learning and community impact.
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. It is free for all students (but students are required to have a ticket). Concert tickets are $15, or $25 for a combined reception-plus-performance ticket. The BPO Box Office can be reached by phone at (716) 885-5000.
Maestro Falletta will visit SUNY Fredonia in advance of the performance to work with the orchestra. She has a lauded history with the BPO, including many recordings, multiple GRAMMY awards, tours, and premieres. Both Falletta and Dr. Schaad will conduct the combined orchestras at the March 4 performance.
“There's something magical that happens when we sit next to professionals. It's like a jumpstart on all of the musicianship skills that we are learning, and our playing and musical awareness often improves instantly." - Graduate Assistant Audrey Potter
Schaad noted, “It is a truly unique and valuable opportunity for Fredonia students to work closely with award-winning professionals and to play under JoAnn Falletta. The excitement is palpable in the ensemble! I am grateful for the BPO’s willingness and enthusiasm for deepening their relationship with SUNY Fredonia School of Music. This collaboration stands to inspire and develop our orchestra, and I would like to invite the community to come out and celebrate that with us on March 4.”
Student thoughts about this rare opportunity
Concertmaster Marley Crane, a senior Violin Performance major, said, “Playing under JoAnn Falletta and with the members of the BPO is an opportunity to make music with incredible musicians that I wouldn’t normally be able to play with.
“Music is ultimately a social creature and being able to broaden the social and musical experiences I have will make me and everyone around me more resilient and creative musicians. I am also excited to watch and absorb professional orchestra etiquette and technique. Being concertmaster, I have felt that the leadership aspect of this position has always come as a struggle to me. One of the best ways to learn anything is to watch someone do it and emulate it yourself, which is exactly what I intend to do while playing side by side with the leaders of an accomplished professional orchestra. This will be a very informative and inspiring experience.”
Graduate assistant Audrey Potter, who is pursuing a Master of Music degree in Music Performance (Orchestral Conducting), earned her Mus.B. degree with majors in Music Education and Music Performance from SUNY Fredonia in 2022. She returned to Fredonia for an advanced degree after teaching in public schools for a couple years and a year studying violin at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her hometown is Rochester, NY, and she is a graduate of Webster Thomas High School. Audrey shared her feelings about opportunity to work with Falletta, noting, “Having the opportunity to play a side-by-side concert with the BPO is both a meaningful learning experience and a powerful inspiration.
“There's something magical that happens when we sit next to professionals. It's like a jumpstart on all of the musicianship skills that we are learning, and our playing and musical awareness often improves instantly. It's especially meaningful to have this experience with the BPO — in addition to the fact that they're incredible — because they're local, and we will have the opportunity to begin professional relationships with them that will hopefully last for many, many years to come. Also, I'm really looking forward to working with JoAnn Falletta because there are so many aspects of her conducting that I admire and want to emulate.
“I can't wait to take everything I learn at the side-by-side and bring it back to Fredonia to enhance all of my music-making!”
When asked to reflect on the upcoming experience, symphony member and sophomore Mitchel Schnaufer from Salamanca, NY, a Music Performance major with a concentration in bassoon, noted, “This side by side is an amazing opportunity for all of us in CSO this semester. For myself as a Performance major, it is especially exciting. This experience will create an opportunity to catch a glimpse of a professional career in music and will hopefully help establish a connection with those who are already professionals.”
Senior Music Education and Viola Performance major Jenna Reppenhagen from Queensbury, NY, also shared her thoughts about the experience, “As a SUNY Fredonia student, the opportunity to play alongside the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is extremely valuable to me.
“I am excited to connect emotionally with professional musicians while performing Dvorak’s 9th Symphony, and to see how they approach such a fantastic piece. The most rewarding experiences of my life have been the moments on stage where I am creating music with my peers and mentors. I hope that by playing alongside the BPO, I will gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a member of a large ensemble, and what I can do with my position in the orchestra to create the most meaningful experience possible for both myself and the audience.”
In addition to the Buffalo Philharmonic, support for the concert includes the Fredonia Alumni Association, and the Bob and Betty Young Fund and Touring Ensemble Fund established through the Fredonia College Foundation, along with additional foundation support.
Kleinhans Music Hall is located at 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY 14201.
