Music » Performance » Chamber Orchestra

Delvyn Case, music director

The 50-member Great Woods Chamber Orchestra is a college-community orchestra based at Wheaton, offering students and members of the general public a chance to collaborate in the preparation and performance of extraordinary music drawn from a wide variety of traditions.

In December of 2012, the GWCO presented a concert of music inspired by Spain, featuring Bizet's "Carmen" Suite" and Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez", featuring the acclaimed classical guitarist  Aaron Larget-Caplan.

In May of 2012, the orchestra was joined by Boston Symphony Orchestra violinist Victor Romanul in a performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto. The spring concert also featured the 10-member GWCO cello section in a performance of David Popper's Requiem.  A month earlier, the orchestra presented "Black Ink: Music by African-American Composers", which featured esteemed composer Alvin Singleton and a concerto by Joseph Boulogne, a Caribbean composer who was a contemporary of Mozart. The orchestra's concert in November of 2011 was geared especially toward children, and included a performance of Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals" as well as music by Beethoven, Handel, and a ragtime piece by James Reese Europe.  In  May 2011, the orchestra performed Schubert's Symphony No 3, Vivaldi's  double cello concerto in G minor, and Act 1 of Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro". The featured soloists in this concert were all current Wheaton students.

Taking advantage of the richness and diversity of the Wheaton community, the GWCO prides itself on its trail-blazing programming.  In December 2010 the orchestra also presented an entire concert of music by Latin American composers that drew heavily upon the vibrant folk and pop traditions of Central and South America.  In  March 2011, the GWCO collaborated with the internationally-known turntablist, digital music artist, and composer DJ Spooky in a unique multimedia concert that bridged the gaps between classical music, hip-hop, and techno. In May of 2011, the orchestra collaborated with student singer-songwriters Lillian Jones and Lizzie Camlin-Irving in a performance of original songs with orchestral accompaniment.

MEMBERSHIP and BASIC INFORMATION

Membership in the Great Woods Chamber Orchestra is open to string, woodwinds, brass, and percussion players. Students may elect to receive 0.5 credits for 2 semesters of involvement in the group. Members of the community - including outstanding high school students - are also welcome to play. There is no membership fee. Auditions are held in September and January. The group rehearses on Monday evenings, 7-9 pm, with occasional sectionals for Wheaton students on Thursdays from 5-6 pm.

For more information, contact Music Director Delvyn Case.