The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra’s most recent concert was pretty typical in most respects. It opened with a shorter piece: Claude Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.” That was followed by a work featuring a virtuoso soloist: Chopin’s First Piano Concerto. The second half of the concert featured an orchestral showpiece: Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony. But there was one main difference – the professionals of the RI Phil were joined on stage by 47 musicians from the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, for a combined performance of the Czech composer’s work from the late 19th century.
The recording you’re hearing is from Saturday night’s concert.
The young musicians were dispersed throughout the orchestra, sitting side-by-side with the professionals, often sharing a music stand with them. I talked with some of the youth orchestra members backstage during a rehearsal earlier in the week to ask them about the experience.
Here’s what 16-year-old violist Liam DeRosa told me.
Liam DeRosa: I’ve experienced that they’re all kind of collegial. It’s much more of a group effort. They’re really close to each other.
Here’s 17-year-old flautist Jade Ma.
Jade Ma: We’re playing next to professionals, which I think is so cool because we’re learning and it’s always a learning experience. And I think it’s really motivating, to me at least for like, just being able to hear all these professionals next to you and around you and being able to learn from them. I really got the sense of like, what it’s like to be working in a professional orchestra, and especially if that’s something I want to go into in the future.
Here’s 16-year-old violinist Grainne Daly.
Grainne Daly: Having a player that’s just a rock, and plays everything correct, comes in correct, timing, phrasing, everything – you can count on them. And I think it gives you a sense of confidence to do the same.
Tania Miller: When you have all these young kids, who’ve been practicing so hard and think that they have a sense of what Dvorak is. And then when they sit beside these professional players who have been playing for years, the inspiration is just so visceral.
That’s Tania Miller, the interim principal conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic. She told me that when they sit next to the professionals, the students learn that they can go beyond what they thought were their own limits. She also said that the professional musicians are learning from the young people.
Miller: They remember what it was when they started, they remember how far they’ve gone. It reminds us all of where we came from and why we did it, what journey we’ve been on, and why we went through all the challenges. And these kids are so full of enthusiasm and joy. And it reminds us all to be joyful about the music. And I think that’s an enormous gift for all of us.
The combined orchestra had a powerful sound on Saturday night. It was clear that the young musicians love playing this symphony.
Here again are violinist Grainne Daly and violist Liam DeRosa.
Daly: The whole piece is just amazing. I mean, there’s so much energy, the differences between the slow parts and the fast parts, all the solos in there.
DeRosa: There’s also a sense of drama, but also some little moments of kind of classically humor in it that can be very hard to pick out but once you find it, it’s a real gem.
And 18 year-old bassoonist Chris Trek.
Chris Trek: rehearsal K of the first movement, it’s the most powerful section, it’s like a battle scene almost. That’s my favorite part.
The youth and the professionals are planning to play together again next year, and they hope to make it an annual event. You can hear the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra play the Dvorak 8th Symphony on their own this Sunday at 1:00 PM at East Providence High School. For The Public’s Radio, I’m James Baumgartner.
The Rhode Island Philharmonic is a business supporter of The Public’s Radio. The Public’s Radio makes editorial and coverage decisions independent of business support.
