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    Richmond Symphony Musicians

    © SMOR 2012

    • home

    • about

    • community service

    • musicians

    • featured artists

    • practice room

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    • Classical Fever Photos

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      Classical FEVER with Benjamin Zander and United Way

      Empty chairs in anticipation....
      Empty chairs in anticipation....
      SMOR volunteer musicians set up for the evening's concert at St Michael Catholic Church
      SMOR banner
      SMOR banner
      Our banner is in place to welcome guests.
      Ben arrives
      Ben arrives
      With no rehearsal, Ben and the musicians make some final adjustments to the music that will be performed.
      Wait, where do we play?
      Wait, where do we play?
      THANK YOU to VCU for providing much of the sheet music for our concert.
      Making new friends
      Making new friends
      Ralph Skiano and Ben meet the incoming chair of the board of directors of United Way.
      Percussion arrives
      Percussion arrives
      THANK YOU to the University of Richmond for donating percussion instruments for us to use.
      Harp arrives
      Harp arrives
      Lynette, our harpist, arrived form NYC just in time to play a crucial role in Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet.
      Ben arrives
      Ben arrives
      The concert begins, and Ben meets the musicians of the Richmond Symphony for the first time!
      Beethoven's Coriolan Overture
      Beethoven's Coriolan Overture
      Ben asks to start the concert with no conductor at all...on a piece the orchestra has not played before! Thank goodness for our new concertmaster, Dice, who lead us through a respectable first performance.
      Teamwork
      Teamwork
      Dice and Adrian lead us through the Overture without Ben!
      The role of a leadrer
      The role of a leadrer
      This demonstrates that a team CAN do it without a leader! "There is more power in this orchestra than has been demonstrated, and the role of the leader is to find it, and release it!"
      Leadership
      Leadership
      With a conductor on the podium, the power of the orchestra is released, and the room and FEEL the difference.
      Romeo and Juliet
      Romeo and Juliet
      The music of WAR - brass, and percussion. The music of love - "The sexiest of all instruments, the English Horn and the violas!"
      Religious Music
      Religious Music
      Clarinets and bassoons demonstrate two ways to play religious music - like an organ, and like a Russian men's choir!
      Opera in Mozart
      Opera in Mozart
      There is Opera everywhere in the music of Mozart. Weeping, sighing, then joyful!
      Second violin fun
      Second violin fun
      "Play it like you are really enjoying yourself"
      Hearing 7 voices in Beethoven 5
      Hearing 7 voices in Beethoven 5
      "How many of you could hear 7 distinct voices at the same time?"
      Beethoven 9 Ode to Joy
      Beethoven 9 Ode to Joy
      And the entire audience is singing along...IN GERMAN!!!
      Brotherhood of all mankind
      Brotherhood of all mankind
      "Beethoven's music reminds us we are all brothers and sisters. In the spirit of Living United, we need to live more generously than we ever imagined we could." Donations for united way totaled nearly $3000.
      Enigma Variations
      Enigma Variations
      Nimrod variation from Elgar's Enigma Variations was played with so much tenderness and power that it moved many in the room to tears - audience and musicians alike.
      Inspiring
      Inspiring
      We hope the concert sparked a love of classical music in the hearts of some unsuspecting new friends in the audience.
      Reception
      Reception
      Alana Carithers and a team of volunteer musicians created an amazing reception for our guests.
      SMOR treats
      SMOR treats
      In honor of SMOR, we decided to do a Smores-themed reception. Musicians sure can bake yummy treats!
      Donations benefit the United Way
      Donations benefit the United Way
      Post concert reactions
      Post concert reactions
      Ben leads a discussion after the reception for the audience and musicians to share their reactions to the experience. We could have talked all night long.
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