Last Fall, preparations began for a Spring full of collaborative performances in the School of the Arts. “We would receive new music on an almost weekly basis,” recalled Rosemary Palmer, the principal second Violinist of the UVU Chamber Orchestra. When asked for more information, she clarified that the UVU Chamber Orchestra is doing a Spring of collaboration, with performances in January, February, March, and April with the Theatre and Dance departments.
“We got a bunch of Gershwin songs first, and then a couple dance pieces.” Palmer said, when asked about the music they would be performing. “I’m really excited about these collaborations,” she explained. “We’ve done collaborations with the Opera program every Fall, but these performances are going to be with different departments.”
January began the string of collaborative performances with a joint venture between UVU Musical Theatre students and the UVU Chamber Orchestra in a production celebrating the works of brothers George and Ira Gershwin, which also had an accompanying art exhibition in the Gallery on 6th in UVU’s Gunther Technology Building.
February marks the UVU Chamber Orchestra’s collaboration with the Contemporary Dance Ensemble in their performance of ‘Bolt from the Blue.’ “We have some really fun tango pieces that I’m excited about,” Palmer expressed. “It can get a little challenging, but I know I’m not the only one excited about this new collaboration experience.”
And these collaborations are new experiences for the students. “We’re an orchestra providing live music for a performance, which isn’t new, but we’re not in the pit during these performances, which is new,” Palmer continued.
“Chamber practices every Wednesday evening, and we’ve been lucky to have that schedule accommodated by the people we’re working with,” Palmer answered when asked for behind-the-scenes information. “We have big plans for these performances, so we are all doing as much as we can to get there.” When asked what went down at these rehearsals, she laughed, “Work, a lot of work.” She then went on to elaborate more, “We’re not the only ones trying something new. It requires adjustments for us in terms of our playing, and adjustments from them because we’re not the recording or single musician that they’re used to working with.”
However, when asked what these performances will look like, she shook her head and said, “I don’t want to give anything away. I’d much rather have audiences come in blind and leave wowed.”
These performances will also take place in March and April, featuring the talented students in the School of the Arts, and showcasing the hard work that they’ve put in. To learn more about these events, visit the Noorda’s website at https://www.uvu.edu/thenoorda/ , or head to the box office to get your questions answered and tickets for the different Noorda events.
