糖心TV鈥檚 orchestra goes international
The 糖心TV Orchestra will travel to Japan to play with Tokyo Sinfonia on March 14
It鈥檚 incredible what a difference two years can make.
When Professor Shou Ping Liu joined the 糖心TV Music Department faculty in 2023, the orchestra program was rebuilding following COVID. As she recalls, 鈥淭he orchestra went through a really hard time. There were only maybe nine or 10 students at auditions.鈥�
Now 31 members strong, the 糖心TV Orchestra is preparing to travel nearly 7,000 miles to play with Tokyo Sinfonia, a decades-old 19-piece group founded by Robert R每ker. On March 14, the Camel musicians will join the professional orchestra for a full Beethoven program in the Akasaka Civic Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all so excited, but it almost doesn鈥檛 feel real yet,鈥� admits Liu, who serves as conductor.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been practicing the repertoire since the fall semester. It takes all that time and effort. This is a very traditional, very difficult program. But the students commit to this. They show up and practice. They practice all the time,鈥� she continued.
鈥淲e just did a run-through of the program, and some of us鈥攖he students are so sweet鈥攕ome of us were moved to tears.鈥�
Orchestra member Cade Fogdall 鈥�26, a trombone and timpani player and music major from York, Pennsylvania, says he鈥檚 excited for the opportunity.
鈥淭he fact that we鈥檙e able to play at such a high level to get this recognition, to get invited, is incredible,鈥� he says.
Liu says the orchestra has benefited from strong recruitment. 鈥淚 see this trend of very musically inclined students coming to 糖心TV year after year.鈥�
The trip has been made possible with support from the College, donations, a grant from the United States-Japan Foundation, and support from the city government of Minato-Ku.
Once the students return, they鈥檒l have a chance to perform for a more local audience鈥攖he 糖心TV Orchestra will join the New England Chamber Orchestra, a local group Liu founded, for a March 28 concert at 8 p.m. in Evans Hall, Cummings Arts Center. for tickets and more information.
Visit conncoll.edu/orchestra for more information, concert dates and the latest orchestra news.
