The Hayes School of Music’s Appalachian Symphony Orchestra will join the North Carolina Symphony in a concert at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 7 at 8 p.m.
The Appalachian Symphony Orchestra is comprised of student musicians – music and non-music majors alike. Many of the orchestra’s members have been playing music for most of their life, such as Patrick Jones, a senior music education major and member of the first violin section, who has been playing since kindergarten and violin specifically since third grade.
“I’ve been practicing my part meticulously,” Jones said. “I’m putting a lot of care into the music.”
The North Carolina Symphony is a full-time professional ensemble that performs around 175 concerts each year throughout the country. Senior music performance major Katie Archer said the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra’s opportunity to perform with such a prestigious orchestra is one that has not been taken lightly by the students.
“It will be an amazing experience for each of the students in the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra to be able to sit beside a member of the North Carolina Symphony,” Archer said. “Having the opportunity to play with them and talk to them will allow us so much insight into the professional world of music.”
Chung Park, the conductor of the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra for the past three years, said he is also taking this concert very seriously for himself and his musicians.
“We’ve been working on all of the things that most people would expect – making sure that the notes and rhythms are correct, that the style is faithful to the composer, and that we’re working together as a team,” Park said. “We’re also, however, working on projecting confidence.”
The aspiring musicians taking part in this performance, including Jones, said they look forward to mingling with those already established in the world of professional music.
“I’m looking forward to picking the brains of the violinists that come up to play with us,” Jones said. “These are veterans in the field – I’m hoping to glean as much information from them as I possibly can.”
Park said he looks forward to seeing his students have the opportunity to observe and model professionals.
The audience can expect the renowned sounds of Mozart and Brahms in this performance, according to news.appstate.edu.
Tickets are $10 for students and $20 for the public. Contact the Schaefer Center box office at (800)-841-2787 for more information.
Story: Andrea Santoyo, Intern A&E Reporter