During Long Winter Weekend, the Deerfield Academy Orchestra took a trip down to New York City to learn and perform in a city full of music. This trip was designed for the musicians not only to perform on world-renowned stages but to develop unity as an orchestra.
The musicians had exciting musical opportunities throughout their trip. Upon their arrival in the city, the musicians were welcomed by the Metropolitan Opera. After watching world-class musicians, the orchestra rehearsed three pieces with the Brooklyn High School Orchestra: Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Pachelbel’s Canon in D, and Terry Riley’s improvisational minimalist masterpiece In C. After some free time in the city, the musicians enjoyed a performance by the acclaimed Juilliard Orchestra.
The next day, members of the DA Orchestra experienced what it means to “busk,” playing impromptu in the streets. The group spent a majority of the morning busking at Union Station, performing instruments ranging from the violin to the recorder. They then played at the newly constructed Oculus at the World Trade Center with the Brooklyn High School Orchestra. Finally, they concluded that day by watching a performance of the St. Olaf Orchestra led by the world-famous violinist Sarah Chang. On the third day of the trip, the musicians went to the Museum of Modern Art and watched the NYC ballet perform. Throughout the afternoon, Deerfield musicians spent time working with professional musicians. The resident chamber ensemble at Carnegie Hall, “Decoda”, gave the musicians a master class. Irvin Li ‘20 commented, “The master class provided me with a different perspective to see my music as well as practice.” To end the day, they also spent time hanging around and skating in Bryant Park that evening. All in all, the objective of the trip was not only to improve as musicians but also to bond as a group. Director of Chamber Music and Orchestra Thomas Bergeron said that this was one of the most meaningful trips for him as a musician. Mr. Bergeron went on to say that, “It was special traveling and performing in New York City, the musical center of the universe, with my students.”
In the future, Mr. Bergeron hopes that he can travel internationally with the orchestra as well. He shared, “As musicians, it is important to go beyond our own stage. Even from going to New York City, we were able to expand our knowledge by performing with other musicians from drastically different backgrounds and life experiences.”