Letter to Students Interested in Symphony
Dear New Cal Poly Student:
Welcome to Cal Poly! Let me congratulate you on being accepted to one of the finest universities in the nation.
I am pleased to know that you have voiced an interest in the Symphony. There is a long tradition of excellent instrumental music at Cal Poly, and I would like to invite you to become a part of it.
The Symphony is a full orchestra of 75-80 members that performs music from the Baroque through Contemporary eras in major concerts each quarter. The majority of Symphony members are not music majors, and simply want to make orchestral music a part of their life at Cal Poly.
Each year, the Symphony embarks on a tour: most years we travel within the state of California, but will venture further approximately every four years. Most recently, in April 2012, the Cal Poly Symphony undertook a tour to Washington, D.C., performing at the Showcase Concert of the Washington, D.C., International Music Festival. This concert, which took place in the renowned Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, was the culmination of this four-day festival, and the tour as a whole was a fantastic cultural and social experience for the entire Symphony.
Our recent repertoire includes Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, Kodaly's "Peacock Variations", Orff's complete Carmina Burana (with Cal Poly Choirs), Bernstein's Suite from West Side Story (with Cal Poly Choirs), Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis," Brahms' Symphony No. 4, Hagen's Triple Concerto (West Coast premiere, with the Amelia Piano Trio) and music from the movies ("Jurassic Park", "Psycho" and more). More great repertoire is on its way next year, when you arrive.
I hope you will audition for a place in the Symphony this coming year!
Audition sign-up sheets will be posted throughout WOW week in September, outside room 128 in the H. P. Davidson Music Building. The orchestra (MU174/MU374) meets every quarter on Tuesday and Thursday from 4:40 PM to 6:30 PM. If this does not fit your schedule in the fall, you can always contact me to join in winter or spring.
Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions or call the Music Department for more information. The Symphony Web page lists current and past repertoire,audition information, and more. I look forward to meeting you in September. Have a safe and enjoyable trip to San Luis Obispo!
Sincerely,
David Arrivée, Symphony Director
Office: (805) 756-2358 • Fax: (805) 756-7464