ORCHESTRA

The Elon University Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1962 by Dr. Malvin Artley under the name of Elon College Community Orchestra. The name was later changed to the Elon University Chamber Orchestra. The purpose of the orchestra however has remained since its inception; to provide students, community members and area professionals with an ensemble of high calibre that is dedicated to performing standard orchestra literature. In addition, select members of the ensemble make up the pit orchestra for the Performing Arts Department's fall musical production.

F.A.Q.

Q. Is an audition required for membership in the orchestra?
A. Yes. Membership in the orchestra is by audition only. Auditions are held at the beginning of the fall semester.

Q. How do I set up an audition?
A. You should contact the conductor prior to the beginning of classes for an audition time and place.

Q. What does the audition consist of?
A. A prepared piece from standard orchestral literature, scales and sight reading.

Q. Are there scholarships available for participation?
A. Unfortunately, no.

Q. How many times each year does the orchestra perform?
A. Three to four times, excluding the pit orchestra performances.

Q. Where and when does the orchestra rehearse?
A. The orchestra rehearses in the Model Fine Arts Center on Monday Evenings from 7-9 p.m.

Q. Can I receive academic credit for orchestra?
A. Yes, students completing successful auditions are registered for Music 103 E for 1 semester hour credit.

REPERTOIRE (Since Fall 2004)

Arnaud - Bugler's Dream from Charge!

Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor (Lise Keiter-Brotzman, piano)

Beethoven - Symphony No. 1 in C Major

Bishop - Symphony For Strings

Coleman - Adieu

Dvorak - Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "New World"

Ellington - Mood Indigo (Matt Buckmaster, trombone)

Gossec - Weihnachtssuite, Suite de Noels

Green - The Butcher's Canticle Of The Earth (World Premiere) (Jon Metzger, percussion)

Grainger - Irish Tune From County Derry

Grieg - From Holberg's Time, Suite In Olden Style

Handel - Concerto Grosso, Op. 6 No. 1

Hanson - Symphony No. 2 "Romantic"

Haydn - Piano Concerto in D Major (Victoria Fischer Faw, piano)

Haydn - Symphony No. 1 in D Major

Haydn - Symphony No. 31 in D Major "Mit dem Hornsignal"

Holst - St. Paul's Suite

Hovhaness - Armenian Rhapsopdy No. 3

Hovhaness - Fantasy On Japanese Woodprints (Tony Sawyer, marimba)

Hovhaness - Symphony No. 21

Lully - Suite from Roland

Mendelssohn - Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor (Victoria Fischer Faw, piano)

Mendelssohn - Sinfonia No. 10 in B Minor

Mercer - Tangerine (Matt Buckmaster, trombone)

Mozart - Sonata No. 14 in C (Mary Alice Bragg, organ)

Mozart - Symphony No. 1 in E-flat Major

Mozart - Symphony No. 4 in D Major

Nelhybel - Music For Orchestra

Paert - Cantus In Memory Of Benjamin Britten

Paert - Perpetuum Mobile

Petty - Moon Shadows

Purcell - Overture from the Ode ,Who Can From Joy Refrain

Purcell - Dido And Aeneas (the complete opera)

Riley - Olson 111 (Elon University Camerata, Stephen Futrell director)

Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor (Ruskin Cooper, piano)

Rimsky-Korsakov - Procession Of The Nobles from Mlada

Salieri - Overture from La Scuola di Gelosi

Johann Jr, and Josef Strauss - Pizzacato Polka

Susato - Three Dances

Tchaikovsky - Andante Cantabile from String Quartet No. 1 in D Major

Tchaikovsky - Ballet Suite from Swan Lake

Tchaikovsky - Waltz from Eugene Onegin

AUDIO SAMPLES

"Irish Tune from County Derry" - Percy Grainger

"Andante Cantabile from String Quartet in D Major" - Tchaikovsky

"Mood Indigo" - Duke Ellington

"Symphony No. 1, Mov. 1" - Beethoven

"Perpetuum Mobile" - Arvo Pärt

DIRECTOR

Hailed as "The Master" by Saxophone Journal magazine and whose articles are described as "Always Insightful" by the International Trumpet Guild Journal, Dr. Thomas R. Erdmann is Director of the Elon University Symphony Orchestra. He holds degrees from The University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign (D.M.A.), Illinois State University (M.M.), and The State University of New York at Fredonia (B.M.P., B.M.E.).

Dr. Erdmann has published over 120 articles in journals as diverse as Currents in Musical Thought, Journal of the Conductors Guild, Jazz Player, Women Of Note Quarterly and The International Trumpet Guild Journal, to name a few. In addition, he has published over 300 reviews of compact discs, books and music in a wide variety of journals and magazines. Currently Dr. Erdmann writes a weekly jazz CD column for the Monterey County Weekly (CA) newspaper, front cover articles for Saxophone Journal magazine, is on the staff of JazzReview.Com and serves as the Jazz Editor of the International Trumpet Guild Journal. Dr. Erdmann is the author of two books (the first, An Annotated Bibliography and Guide To The Published Trumpet Music Of Sigmund Hering, was published in 1997 and his second, Problems and Solutions in Band Conducting, was published in early 2001 and has already gone into a second printing) and the editor of two new books of posthumously published trumpet etudes by Sigmund Hering published by Carl Fischer Inc. in 2004 (Double and Triple Tonguing, A Complete Approach for the Trumpet, and Studies on Ornamentation for Trumpet).

Dr. Erdmann held the position of Principal Trumpet with the Illinois Symphony and Second Trumpet with the Vermont Symphony. He is also the only two-time Chair of the world's only international trumpet jazz improvisation competition, the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Improvisation Competition. He is also a pianist — having worked with Phyllis Diller and Mark Preston — adjudicator / clinician and conductor who has performed and conducted throughout the East and Midwest regions of the United States.

© 2008 Elon University | Page updated May 30, 2009