The audience takes their seats, the lights swivel towards the performers, and with the sign from the conductor, everything now sets into motion. Both well-experienced and new performers get their chance in the spotlight with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra (WSO).
Sarah Yang ’27, a cellist, Angela Zhang ’27, a violinist, and Dhiren Sivapala ’27, a bassoonist, represent the high school, a lower ensemble that has performed for nearly 75 years.
The WSO holds monthly concerts that are open to the public and the audience has the freedom to choose how much they pay per ticket.
“The Wellesley Symphony Orchestra is a local community orchestra and it’s important to know about us because we want people to come watch our performances. Not only do you get to enjoy the concert, it also helps sustain the arts within the community,” said Zhang.
Past performances have been “The Forces of Destiny” in late September which included pieces such as Carlos Simon’s “Fate Now Conquers” and Charles Ives “The Unanswered Question”.
In May, the ensemble will perform “The Hero’s Journey” which will include pieces such as Nielson’s “Dream of Saga” and Mahler’s Symphony No.1 “Titan”.
All of these concerts take place in the auditorium at the MassBay Community College.
Yang and Zhang, both new to the WSO, play in the orchestra and Sivapala plays solo pieces. While all performing different instruments, all three of these students take their level of music to the next level for the people of Wellesley.
“For me it’s the fact that the orchestra is made up of a group of musicians who are truly passionate for music and coming together to create this community,” said Zhang.
Music directors Mark Latham and Max Hobart lead the concerts and mentor all of the performers. These performances come from students at the high school.
A violinist instructor, Ms. Lisa Hollis, has been teaching violin for nearly thirty years with the Suzuki method of instruction.
“My favorite part of teaching is watching a student who has struggled with something suddenly have everything click into place and have a new understanding and appreciation for their ability and their hard work,” said Hollis. “The Wellesley Symphony is the most welcoming orchestra I’ve ever been a part of.”
Through the flexibility of the ticket fees, the WSO is able to balance both funding for the symphony orchestra and audience satisfaction. This organization has electronic tickets that can be purchased online. They recommend that each ticket cost thirty dollars but the price paid is up to each audience member.
There is no dress code for the audience while the performers wear simply black attire. Applauding between movements is also acceptable.
“They are a professional orchestra from my own town and manage to play amazing repertoire while including young musicians like myself,” said Sivapala.
