# The Conservatory Musicians



## shsherm

Last night I attended a performance of the Orchestra of the Colburn Music Conservatory which is based in downtown Los angeles. These college students played better than many professional orchestras I have heard. They performed Le Tombeau de Couperin, Suite no 2 from Daphnis and Chloe, and Pavane for a Dead Princess by Ravel as well as Variations on a Theme of Pagannini by Rochmaninov played by a young Japanese student at the Colburn. I am always amazed at the quality of playing these students are capable of and I have heard the best orchestras in the world. I have also attended concerts of the Southern Methodist University Orchestra in Dallas, TX and they also play very well. I would like to know what others think of student orchestras they have heard.


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## Guest

I have heard an orchestra made up from students at Auckland University and have purchased 1 of their CDs, also the University of Waikato in Hamilton puts on performances at the Performing Arts Theater on a regular basis both of these are excellent,


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## Yagan Kiely

Shame... Western Australias violins/trumpets/violas/horns can't play in tune.

Percussion is deafening (but played well!)

And Cellos are inaudible.

Winds are always good here.


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## Guest

It is amazing how many musicians can't play in tune even some of the larger amatuer orchestras


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## Yagan Kiely

Even on apparently simply melodies...


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## PostMinimalist

If there is a good school music education program in the district then the quality of amateur orchestras seems to automatically go up. This has two backlashes, one good, one bad. It means that music making in general becomes more popular and community spirit is imporved, but it also means that porfessional musicialns can find less work in the area. In Edinburgh Scotland there is a fantastic amateur scene with tens of amateur orchestras ranging from mediocre to challenging professional bodies like the RSNO. This means that in Edinburgh there is realy only room for one professional camber orchestra - the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. n Glasgow things are different because there is a music conservatory there which 'feeds' the 2 symphony orchestras and 3 smaller ballet and opera orchestras. Amateur orchetras there are also good but much fewer and quite often pay guest players to fill principal positions for concerts. 
It is true that amateur orchestras can be as good as professional orchestras 'on the night' but that's only because they have spent 3 months preparing their program where as pros tend to be almost sight reading - I remember in the BBC doing almost all Mozart symphonies without a single play though! (and still doing them miles better than any amateur band. There is still a large gap between professional players and amateurs but it _is_ closing which can only mean raising the level of pro players to justify their existence which can only be a good thing!
FC
Hi Yagan!


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## Yagan Kiely

Hi.

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