Your assumptions may be preventing you from having an enjoyable musical experience.
While you may be familiar with names like Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart, you may have some misunderstandings about classical music that could be deterring you from enjoying this diverse and expansive style of entertainment.
The New Bedford Symphony Orchestra provides an excellent opportunity to be introduced to a genre of music that is as vibrant and alive as it ever has been, a form of music that appeals to audiences of all backgrounds and ages. There is a reason that people still enjoy classical music centuries after its beginning.
“It’s easy to get lost in classical music,” says Jesse Holstein, a first chair violinist who has been with the NBSO for 20 years. “Like all kinds of music, whether it’s reggae or rap or R&B, it taps into the human experience and the range of emotions. For some people it can be very meditative and centering, and sometimes it’s really exciting.
“It’s another tree that comes out of the fertile ground of music.”
“There’s a lot more to classical music than the famous composers,” says EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks, who has played violin with the NBSO for eight years. “We play music that is hundreds and hundreds of years old, but we also play music that was written last year.”
Contrary to some modern stigmas, classical music isn’t snob music. It is a field to be explored and enjoyed by all.
“Classical is often associated with high society and the elite, but it’s really for everyone,” Holstein points out. “It doesn’t need to be a museum piece or like going to church.People shouldn’t be afraid or intimidated that they might not get it, just let it wash over you.”
“People shouldn’t have any expectations about what they should be experiencing,” Holmes-Hicks says. “You can take out of it what you want,”
And the NBSO offers an array of opportunities to enjoy classical music. The Symphony Orchestra, with nearly 70 musicians, will begin its season at the Zeiterion Theatre on September, 18th. Their Chamber Music series, with much smaller groups of performers, will begin performances this October.
“What’s exciting about seeing a symphony is that there’s so many people on stage,” Holmes-Hicks says. “It’s fascinating to see 68 people making music together and working as one organism – there’s always something different to listen to, it may include harp and piano. Chamber music is an intimate experience where listeners can take in the music up close. Sitting just feet away from the musicians, audience members can see the magical musical conversation and interaction between the players as they communicate non-verbally to play together and match the phrasing and feeling of the music.
“Be prepared to soak it in and see what it’s all about. Come to a concert without expectations.”
In addition to its first concert on September 18th, the Symphony will also perform on the nights of November 6th, January 8th, February 19th, April 16th, and May 14th. The NBSO’s Holiday Pops concerts will both take place on December 11th, at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The February 19th concert is devoted to “Hollywood Pops,” their “movie night” concert. It will feature music from three iconic film composers of our time with music from popularmovies and television.
The Chamber Music series will be held on Saturdays at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Marion and on Sundays at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in South Dartmouth. They will be held in October, November, January, March and May.
“Classical music runs the spectrum of emotions and feelings, it can be really powerful and spiritual, just let it do its thing,” Holstein says. “Contemporary classical music is really exciting. People are addressing issues such as racial and social change, written by women composers and composers of color.”
The NBSO is happy to provide some background on the music their audiences will be enjoying. A half-hour before theZeiterion symphony concerts, Conductor Yaniv Dinur presents a free informational talk for audience members about the piece they are about to present that evening.
“The Zeiterion Theatre is a cool hall for classical music,and the musicians feed off of the energy of the audience,” Holstein says. “It has a really warm sound and it’s comfortable.”
And with any genre of music, listeners may have favorite composers or favorite pieces. And classical music may have a more prominent role in your life than you realize.
“Classical music pops up in many different places that people don’t recognize, such as on tv or in movies, there’s a lot of themes that people will recognize,” Holmes-Hicks says.
To purchase tickets or to get more information on the concerts, the NBSO can be reached at nbsymphony.org.
But the impact that the NBSO has on the music community goes beyond traditional performances. They boast a youth orchestra and a wide-ranging educational program that reaches more than 4,000 students in regional schools and giving them lessons in classical music.
The Southeastern Massachusetts Youth Orchestra (SEMAYO) is geared towards musicians 21 years of age and under, with different ensembles for musicians of all abilities and backgrounds, including strings, woodwinds and brass. Musicians are placed in an ensemble based on their audition, which will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 15th and Thursday, Sept. 16th, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the UMass-Dartmouth College of Visual & Performing Arts Building (Parking lot 9). To schedule an audition, contact Charlene Monte online at montecello@comcast.net. Please insert “SEMAYO Audition Request” in the subject line.
The youth orchestra’s website is semayo.org. Guests can listen to a pair of virtual performances from the SEMAYO that were recorded last year – “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year,” recorded in December, and Toto’s hit song, “Africa,” recorded in February.
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