Marquette Orchestra held their final performance of the year in Varsity Theatre on April 27 at 2 pm. They performed three other concerts throughout the year, mostly made up of strings; however, this performance contained a full orchestra, which accompanied select members from the brass, wind and percussion sections of the band.
They performed three different pieces, the most well-known being, “Symphony No. 5” by Ludwig van Beethoven that has been featured in countless movies and commercials.
Matt Waters, a junior in the College of Business Administration, is the principal violinist for the 1st violins. With this position, he said he helps lead his section through small group interactions in rehearsals so that they can perform as a cohesive group.
“This concert is my favorite of the year because it encompasses the strings as well as the wind and brass. Especially with these huge pieces that I’m sure all of the audience will enjoy and recognize. It’s going to be powerful for the audience, and I really want to share a good time and feeling with the audience,” said Waters.
Waters said a lot of preparation goes in before these students hit the big stage to perform. They have rehearsals twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays and are also expected to practice outside of these hours as well, Waters said.
Sophia Hart-Liepert, a first-year student in the College of Education, is the principal bassist for the orchestra.
“I was definitely surprised when I came here and got that role in the beginning as a freshman,” Hart-Liepert said.
Hart-Liepert said she has been playing for 10 years. However, this year she faced a new challenge of having to navigate an injury. At the beginning of the year, she experienced some tendinitis in her fingers and thumb. This later turned into her being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in her left hand — the same hand she uses to pluck her bass.
However, she said she does not let that stop her from playing but rather ignites her love for music even more. She wants to use this time to not only get better at her craft but also to instill this love of music in others. Over the summer, she worked at a music camp teaching younger kids how to play musical instruments and now teaches private lessons.
“I teach lessons to a few people privately and so getting better at these skills will help me be better for others,” Hart-Liepert said. “It causes my love of music more because it is not something that I will always be able to do.”
Since the first concert, she has adjusted to a new style of conducting, made friends with other people in the orchestra and lead the bass section in each of the concerts.
Erik Janners, the Director of Music at Marquette, said that watching students grow is the most rewarding part.
“What is really rewarding for me is watching students grow throughout their time in the program,” Janners said. “The orchestra that started in October would not have been ready to play this, but through the music we have done together over the course of the year and how much their playing has improved over the year they are able to take on the challenge of these pieces.”
Four members of the orchestra will be graduating this year. To those members, he has a message.
“Keep music a part of your life because this is something that will be different from the career you’re in and can be an outlet to let off steam and be around different people to socialize,” Janners said.
As for next year’s concerts, Janners previewed that he has selected “Winter” by Antoni Vivaldi and Franz Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony.”
This story was written by Alison McMillan. She can be reached at [email protected].
