does Harvard have an orchestra

[lea]

My fellow musician friend wants to keep playing in an orchestra, she's applying next year, and would like to know if Harvard has an orchestra...

If not, what schools do have one? I can only list Einstein...

thanks! 😍

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[SaturdayDwarf]

My fellow musician friend wants to keep playing in an orchestra, she's applying next year, and would like to know if Harvard has an orchestra...

If not, what schools do have one? I can only list Einstein...

thanks! 😍

Harvard has many primarily undergraduate orchestras, which I think anyone is eligible to audition for. The biggest is Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO). Then there is a Mozart Society Orch and a Bach Society Orch. And tons of smaller groups.

 

[top]

I think Columbia has some sort of orchestra run by med students. I remember they were hyping that as a really cool part of their school -- it would be a lot cooler for me if I hadn't traded in my clarinet for an electric guitar after high school. I'm not even sure if I can find my clarinet, and I have two (oh, the good old marching band days....)

 

[dbhvt]

Harvard has many primarily undergraduate orchestras, which I think anyone is eligible to audition for. The biggest is Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO). Then there is a Mozart Society Orch and a Bach Society Orch. And tons of smaller groups.

There is an orchestra with harvard physicians and med students (among other HMS folks). The Longwood Orchestra.

I've know someone at Columbia P&S that plays in the Columbia University orchestra, and Columbia really seems to encourages physician/musicians.

I am given to understand Pitt has had med students in the University Orchestra.

That's what I know.

 

[Pinner Doc]

Yup, at P&S we have many students play with the University orchestra, as well as with the P&S Musician's guild (it's currently run by a former 1st violin at Yale!). There are also plenty of opportunities to play individually at occasional "coffeehouses" run by students, as well as in the pit for Bard Hall Players theater productions.

Additionally, there are several musical practice rooms right on the med school campus. With a piano donated by Rachmaninoff, a former patient 😉

 

[Orthodoc40]

In Boston, you can play in the Longwood Symphony Orchestra - it rehearses on Thursday nights in a place on Longwood Ave - near the hospitals. Concerts are at Jordan Hall, which is part of New England Conservatory. You don't have to be HMS - you could go to BU or Tufts or wherever around there - just want to play!

 

[hsperson]

Is the orchestra at columbia any good? What about Longwood?

 

[Dr.Dr.]

When I interviewed at Harvard they had "The Second Year Show." It was a 3 hour song and dance extravaganza that was completely awesome! It really made me want to go to the H bomb. Too bad the small letter came yesterday 🙁 .

 

[linuxizer]

If not, what schools do have one? I can only list Einstein...

I knew a med student in Penn's orchestra two years ago. But honestly, pretty much any place with an undergrad campus is going to have a student orchestra, it's just a question of how good you want the level of performance to be.

--Ari

 

[Babs0309]

Emory has a university orchestra - it's awesome!!

 

[dabeste]

Emory has a university orchestra - it's awesome!!

Did you go to our performance of the Planets last Thursday?? I'm a sophomore in the first violin section. Man that concert hall is amazing...

 

[hsperson]

WOW! I'm somewhat surprised that this post is still alive. So just who are the active musicians on SDN? I thought I was one of only a few. For those already in med school, are you or your classmates still active in an ensemble; or is that an impossibility? Again, I've heard of Columbia's med student orchestra. Is this orchestra actually any good? What about Boston's Longwood orchestra for med professionals?

 

[earmuffs]

Northwestern has a Philharmonic orchestra among the law, med & grad schools. There's a choral group that also has some student musicians playing in it as well, I think - the Hamstrings (big boo! on the name though).

In vivo is the live show the preclinical students put on each winter, raising money for charities. Past productions have been Northwest Side Story, Lube (Grease), Billy Medicine, & Top Gunner.

 

[Babs0309]

Did you go to our performance of the Planets last Thursday?? I'm a sophomore in the first violin section. Man that concert hall is amazing...

No I couldn't make it (Birthday fun)
🙁
But I have a friend who is a junior ( I think?? ) who plays the viola.

 

[Orthodoc40]

The Longwood Symphony is pretty darn good, especially considering the fact that you've got a lot of people who can not dedicate themselves to playing their instrument as their priority. It is a large orchestra, too. They did Mahler's 2nd symphony last year and it was pretty electric and pretty fun to play! (I was playing one of the extra brass parts.) Top notch? Well, no, but it isn't a group of professional musicians!

I want to reiterate that Longwood is NOT a strictly Harvard group, by any means. If you are doing anything health related in Boston somewhere, you can play. Also, it is NOT a student orchestra. There are students in it, of course, but it is full of health professionals of all ages. I think that makes it much better than an all student group, frankly. The other thing is, there are several other orchestras and musical groups you can participate in that are Harvard related, and being in Boston, there will be even more to participate in that aren't.

http://www.longwoodsymphony.org/

 

[Thundrstorm]

Tell your friend to keep in mind that there are community orchestras she can join if the med school doesn't have one. As the above poster mentioned, many medical professionals in Boston play in the Longwood Symphony, and there are other local orchestras such as the New England Philharmonic, which consists of prs, non-pros and students. Many cities have similar groups.

 

[hsperson]

Wow! I so want to go to med school in boston now. I have been trying to look for med schools with good music opps around but with little luck. Boston does seem to have a ton of music things including longwood and the metropolitan wind symphony, not to mention the proximity of the Boston Pops etc. This is great. I could never leave music behind, even while in med school. To those who go there, what are HMS, BSU and Tufts like? Is it worth it to come from out of state to attend those places? To those in med school and ensembles, how do you manage?

 

[Orthodoc40]

Wow! I so want to go to med school in boston now. I have been trying to look for med schools with good music opps around but with little luck. Boston does seem to have a ton of music things including longwood and the metropolitan wind symphony, not to mention the proximity of the Boston Pops etc. This is great. I could never leave music behind, even while in med school. To those who go there, what are HMS, BSU and Tufts like? Is it worth it to come from out of state to attend those places? To those in med school and ensembles, how do you manage?

Can't really help you from the standpoint of what it is like for current med students at these places, but being in the orchestra and in the music scene, I know they are involved, and enjoy it, but of course it's a lot. I think Boston might be one of the best places if you want to be involved in music in addition to med school - but I'm sure that there will be at least some opportunity no matter where you go.

 

[SuzieQ3417]

WOW! I'm somewhat surprised that this post is still alive. So just who are the active musicians on SDN? I thought I was one of only a few. For those already in med school, are you or your classmates still active in an ensemble; or is that an impossibility? Again, I've heard of Columbia's med student orchestra. Is this orchestra actually any good? What about Boston's Longwood orchestra for med professionals?

Ooh, me! 🙂 I'm a music major right now (violin), but will be attending med school in the fall. Most schools I interviewed at had some sort of music ensemble just among the med school. I'm not sure about the quality of these groups, however, so I've also been looking into community orchestras. Most major cities can have pretty amazing civic orchestras because they are the same people trying to sneak into the major symphonies (take Chicago civic for example - that group is really good).

 

[Orthodoc40]

Ooh, me! 🙂 I'm a music major right now (violin), but will be attending med school in the fall. Most schools I interviewed at had some sort of music ensemble just among the med school. I'm not sure about the quality of these groups, however, so I've also been looking into community orchestras. Most major cities can have pretty amazing civic orchestras because they are the same people trying to sneak into the major symphonies (take Chicago civic for example - that group is really good).

Civic (Chicago) is really good - you have to audition unless you're a string player. The winds/brass/percussion are excellent, the strings are the weak link. You can't really sneak into a major symphony orchestra. You can possibly sub, if you know the personnel manager, or someone in the section knows you & tells the personnel manager to call you - but you can't "sneak" into it. Maybe I misunderstood what you meant (if so, sorry!)

School orchestras, ensembles - and community orchestras are going to be most med school student's best options.

 

[SuzieQ3417]

Civic (Chicago) is really good - you have to audition unless you're a string player. The winds/brass/percussion are excellent, the strings are the weak link. You can't really sneak into a major symphony orchestra. You can possibly sub, if you know the personnel manager, or someone in the section knows you & tells the personnel manager to call you - but you can't "sneak" into it. Maybe I misunderstood what you meant (if so, sorry!)

School orchestras, ensembles - and community orchestras are going to be most med school student's best options.

I didn't mean it in the literal sense....but Chicago's civic orchestra is often used as a training ground for people who will eventually be auditioning for spots in the big leagues. A lot of people go up there to get the repetoire down, and then start making the rounds at major orchestra auditions (well, maybe not a lot of people, but I've certainly known quite a few that have gone that route). Or maybe I am thinking of a different chicago orchestra, but I'm pretty sure its Civic. It doesn't matter for me, though. I won't be in Chicago. I'll be going into a community orchestra if I can find one that has a manageable rehearsal schedule. Although ideally I would love to get a group together as a string quartet. (we'll see!) 🙂

 

[Orthodoc40]

I didn't mean it in the literal sense....but Chicago's civic orchestra is often used as a training ground for people who will eventually be auditioning for spots in the big leagues. A lot of people go up there to get the repetoire down, and then start making the rounds at major orchestra auditions (well, maybe not a lot of people, but I've certainly known quite a few that have gone that route). Or maybe I am thinking of a different chicago orchestra, but I'm pretty sure its Civic. It doesn't matter for me, though. I won't be in Chicago. I'll be going into a community orchestra if I can find one that has a manageable rehearsal schedule. Although ideally I would love to get a group together as a string quartet. (we'll see!) 🙂

Yes, I played in Civic for a season many years ago. Sorry I took you literally - just wanted to be clear in case you were hoping to "sneak into" an orchestra somehow, and would be disappointed if that's what you had thought!

Well I'm sure you can find at least one community orchestra wherever you'll be. If you're in an area like Boston, or NY, you'll probably have no trouble getting a quartet together, either. Good luck!