Orchestra concert features soloists

The University Orchestra will present its third set of concerts this year next Friday and Saturday. The program is unique in that there will be two featured solos — Seth Baer '02 on bassoon and Christine McLeavey '01, on piano.

The first piece on the program is Beethoven's "Leonore Overture 3," which is packed with the heroic passages that have made Beethoven immortal. This overture will be added to a program presented earlier in the year titled "Homer and Beethovqen."

On April 2, the orchestra will take the show to Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center and occupy the stage that regularly hosts the Juilliard Orchestra.

The second piece is the "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis" by Vaughan Williams (1872-1958). The piece is written for a string quartet, a small string orchestra and a large string orchestra that pass the theme back and forth. The remainder of the program consists of the "Mozart Bassoon Concerto" and "Prokofiev Piano Concert #3."

Baer is a regular member of the Haddonfield Symphony, principal of the PUO and a sub for the Philadelphia Orchestra. His recent accomplishments included a feature on the classical station WQXR and performances in Carnegie Hall with the New York String Orchestra Seminar.

McLeavey completes the concert. Her extensive resume includes winning the MTNA Piano Competition for both her state and the Eastern division. Nationals are to be held at the end of March. She studies piano at the Westminster Choir College.

There are several things that make the PUO unique. One is the level of commitment. Rehearsal time runs five hours a week, and sectionals, which are rehearsals for a particular section of instruments such as brass or strings, are conducted on Saturdays.

"Serious application has always been a part of the culture of this orchestra, and that, for a conductor, is certainly wonderful," said Michael Pratt, PUO conductor and Director of the Program in Musical Performance. "What is continually surprising about the PU Orchestra is the level of raw talent in a non-profession. There are some serious chops in this orchestra and from people who are pursuing every conceivable discipline in the University."

Last year the most popular majors included molecular biology economics and engineering. Although music takes a backseat to an academic major for most students, the PUO boasts a high level of musicianship and regularly plays music from an extremely difficult repertory.

The repertoire for next weekend is no exception.

At the next concert, Sean Carpenter '03, violin, will be soloing on the violin. Baer, McLeavey and Carpenter tied for first place in the annual concerto competition.