On a pleasantly warm night of the last day in February, lovely strings and bold brass rang from Hinton Hall in the Wright Music Building as the Symphonic Orchestra took the stage.
The orchestra played five pieces in total, opening with the finale from Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s classic “Swan Lake.” The music set the stage for what was to come with booming low brass that cooled into willowy woodwinds and strings.
Lead oboe player Kayla Owenby had various solos throughout the performance, including one for “Swan Lake.”
“For practicing solos, it’s a lot of listening and repetition and figuring out how to make it uniquely your own,” Owenby said.
The second piece performed by the ensemble was very special, as it was a reflection on students and their abilities. The symphonic orchestra premieres one student’s composition every year, and this year’s was “Philosophy,”composed by MTSU french horn player Perry Herrington.
The third selection played was excerpts from Georges Bizet’s world-renowned opera “Carmen.” The piece went through a multitude of emotions: opening with angry brass and feisty strings, then calming into soothing woodwinds, and rising again for a fiery finish.
After a brief intermission, the show continued with Ennio Morricone’s “Gabriel’s Oboe.” This quick but impactful piece was by far the most somber of the night, relying heavily on the woodwinds to deliver an empathic sound.
The final piece of the night was the thrilling wild adventure of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Russian Easter Overture.” This piece was well over four minutes long, moving from fast, forceful explosions of sound to slow melodies culminating in an exciting, thunderous end.
Carol Nies, director of orchestras and a longtime professor at MTSU, directed and conducted the entire show.
“At the start of the semester, I look to see who is in symphony and I choose pieces that I think will cater towards the musicians we have,” Nies said.
The audience was very responsive, applauding after every selection.
Various audience members described the show as “wonderful,” “phenomenal” and even “eye-opening.”
One audience member, Jack McBee, was very pleased with the show.
“I thought it was very well done. I really enjoyed the selected pieces,” McBee said. “I thought the use of dynamics and tempo changes, especially towards the end, was very nice.”
The musicians at MTSU are always showcasing their talents, and, the full performance calendar can be found on their website.
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