Join ROCO for the annual Conductorless Concert Feb 9th & 10th, with violin soloist and guest concertmaster Joseph Swensen.
Wikipedia defines conductorless as “a unique style of collaborative leadership in which the musicians interpret the music, not the conductor.” Performing without a conductor requires collaboration, mutual respect, and “radical trust”. It empowers the individual musicians in a way that translates into an exciting experience for the audience. Performing conductorless is a ROCO signature and part of what makes ROCO “the most fun you can have with serious music.”
When performing conductorless, the musicians must rely much more heavily on listening not only to their section, but also to the rest of the ensemble. While remaining flexible, each musician must take on a higher level of responsibility for the balance and interpretation of the piece. Like a conductor, each musician must have a knowledge of the full score in his or her mind. The concertmaster, in this case Joseph Swensen, performs a significant role, acting as a leader in conjunction with other principal players through physical cues and the motion of his bow.
By removing the “wall” between orchestra and audience, the chamber orchestra exposes an intimate dialogue among its musicians and invites the audience into a delightful conversation. Few orchestras of ROCO’s size attempt to perform conductorless, especially on pieces as challenging as those on ROCO’s February 9th and 10th concerts. Sharing leadership among ROCO’s 40 musicians showcases the high level of artistry and strong spirit of “musical joie de vivre” that is ROCO’s signature. The result a fantastic audience experience that author/journalist, John DeMers calls, “the most fun you can have with serious music.”
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