On Wednesday April 24 at 8 p.m., the Houghton Philharmonia will be performing their final concert of the semester entitled, “Everything Old is New Again.” The performance will include three pieces: “Concerto for Horn” by Reinhold Gliere (conducted by graduate student Ethan Hall), “Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 3 for Strings” by Ottorino Respighi, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.
In choosing the music selections for this concert, conductor Dr. Mark Hijleh tried to look for something that would challenge the orchestra as well as be manageable in relation to the group’s skill level. All the pieces exhibit an ongoing and established repertoire of strong and dynamic music making. Each piece was important to its time, which led to the concert title.
The members of Philharmonia and their conductor have been hard at work practicing these pieces throughout the semester. Hijleh took over the orchestra this spring. Hijleh said that he has attempted “to create a space where each person could make their best contribution in creating an overall sound.”
In preparation for this concert, Philharmonia faced some challenges, such as performing each piece with a unique sound. The sound is dictated by the time period in which each piece was produced and those stylistic additions that would epitomize the distinctiveness of the work.
The length of each piece also demands a certain rigor of each of the musicians, with the longest piece spanning about 30 minutes. This puts even more emphasis on working together to create a unified sound. A certain mental and physical endurance is necessary to perform these pieces.
Sophomore Brandon Bennet, music education major, is the principal second violin. He has been participating in Philharmonia since the fall semester of his freshman year when he was the officer for the freshman class. Now as section leader, Bennet carries the greater responsibility of helping to motivate and push his section.
In preparing for the upcoming concert, he said that the piece by Beethoven “presented many challenges for the entire orchestra.” As a result, Bennet said that Dr. Hijleh has been committed to “moving forward and not becoming stagnant” as an orchestra.
Bennet had recently seen Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 performed by Rochester’s Philharmonic orchestra. Bennet said he is very “honored to be playing the same piece as an orchestra that is held in such high respect”.
Senior Isabel Sanders will be given the privilege this concert of being a student soloist in the piece “Concerto for Horn.” She was provided this opportunity through a competition that was held last semester by the music department.
In her solo, Sanders said that a specific difficulty has been the memorization of her piece. Although she is familiar with the music since she played it for her junior recital last year, this will be the first time in which she will play the piece from memory. With this in mind, Sanders said that she is excited for the chance to play a piece that she knows well and loves. Sanders also said that she hopes that those who come to listen to the concert feel moved by the music that the members of Philharmonia have dedicated so much of their time to this semester.
Sanders said that the most rewarding part of the performance will be “hearing the orchestra behind me, supporting me, [giving] me encouragement and inspiration to play better.”