Take a Seat…in the Orchestra
drawings by Keith Bendis
Columbia Festival Orchestra’s Take a Seat…in the Orchestra is a mentoring program for serious-minded music students to intern and perform with members of the CFO.
Each participant is assigned a mentor with whom the student rehearses and performs in various situations. Students have the opportunity to interview their mentors, socialize with them, and learn what it is like to be a professional musician.
Our inaugural program took place during the CFO’s residency at PS21 (Performance Spaces for the 21st Century, www.ps21chatham.org) in Chatham, New York, July 25-27, 2008. Student interns performed with the Columbia Festival Orchestra in the world premiere of Overture to a New Theater by Chatham High School alumnus, David Grunberg.
Tuition is free. The application procedure is straightforward: a short form, a brief statement about why the student would like to participate; and a recommendation letter from the student’s teacher. Players of all orchestral woodwinds, strings, and trumpet, horn, and percussion are invited to apply.
CFO’s Take a Seat program will continue into the fall of 2008 with two opportunities for students (both taking place at St. James Church in Chatham, NY):
- October 19 - flute reading session with the 4 members of Flute Force
- December 19 - Community Sing of Handel’s Messiah
For more information about this program and to sign up for one of the above events, contact Heidi Liscomb, Program Coordinator, 518-766-0415, hliscomb@yahoo.com
