With a performance at Richardson Auditorium under its belt, Sinfonia has grown from a backup to the Princeton University Orchestra to a full-fledged orchestra of its own.
After performing for years in Taplin Auditorium in Fine Hall, the group played works by Schumann, Vaughan Williams and Mozart to a large audience at Richardson last night, its first performance in the venue since the group's inception.
Sinfonia members saw this as recognition of the orchestra's growing status on campus.
"Playing in Richardson is something we'd always talked about and dreamed about," piano soloist Jennifer Chu '06 said.
Sinfonia, which was created as an orchestra for students who were not accepted into the Princeton University Orchestra (PUO) or desired less of a time commitment, has traditionally performed in Taplin, "basically a lecture hall [that] doesn't have a stage that practically fits an orchestra," conductor Ruth Ochs GS said.
Due to fire safety regulations, only 35 people are allowed to be on the Taplin stage at any given time, Ochs said. The orchestra, however, often included more than 35 students. This forced some performers to stand offstage in the wings, and a special platform was created to accommodate the conductor.
The increasing size of Sinfonia may have contributed to the music department's decision to support a change of venue.
"This orchestra has obviously grown and become a presence on campus," Ochs, who has conducted Sinfonia for four years, said. "This year the music department and Michael Pratt, the orchestra director, supported us performing in Richardson."
"Richardson is suited to an orchestra of this size, which is a bit smaller than a full orchestra," assistant conductor Geoff McDonald '07, who is also a cellist in PUO, said. "The orchestra fluctuates in size, and Ruth and I work with whatever that number is."
Though Sinfonia has grown in size, it does not always have all the necessary instruments. Violin soloist Grant Strother '07 said Sinfonia has had to invite bassists and wind players, mostly from PUO.
Ochs, however, does not let the shortage of certain instruments influence her choice of repertoire.
"We have taken on progressively harder repertoire, even pieces others would not expect us to perform," Ochs said. She noted that some people raised their eyebrows when informed that Sinfonia would be performing Schumann's Symphony No. 2 in C Major.
"The second movement is crazy, crazy for the violins. It's a nonstop technical challenge that even the best orchestras have to work at," Ochs said.
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