Berkshire Symphony Orchestra

The Berkshire Symphony is conducted by Ronald Feldman and includes nearly 70 members, half of whom are students and half of whom are professional musicians. The ensemble presents four major concerts each season; the programsbalance orchestral standards with contemporary works. Recent offerings include the Violin Concerto, Coriolan Overture, and Symphonies Nos. 1, 5 and 7 of Beethoven; the Cello Concerto and Symphonies Nos. 7 and the "New World" by Dvořák; The Skylark Sings by faculty member David Kechley; "Prelude and Liebestod" from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde; Mahler Symphony No. 4; Mozart Symphonies Nos. 31, 38, and 40; Schubert's Symphonies Nos. 1 and 5; Serenade No. 2 in A major and Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4 by Brahms; Ravel's Tzigane; Mendelssohn's Fingal's Cave; Dumbarton Oaks, the Ebony Concerto, and Symphony in Three Movements by Stravinsky; Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 by Bach; Shostakovich Symphony No. 9; Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune; the Harp Concerto by faculty member Robert Suderburg; Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5; An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise by Peter Maxwell Davies; and Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 3, "Rhenish."

The symphony received and ASCAP award for innovative programming during the 1990-1991 season, in which works for soloist and orchestra by living American women composers (Joan Tower, Marilyn Bliss, Elizabeth Vercoe and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich) were performed, one at each concert. World premiers have included works by David Kechley, Robert Suderburg, Augusta Read Thomas, David Ott and others. Soloists have included Artist-in-Residence Doris Stevenson (piano), Professor Douglas Moore (cello), violinists Victor Romanul, David Kim and Joel Smirnoff, violist Patricia McCarty, cellist Andres Diaz, harpist Marilyn Costello, pianist Frederick Moyer, and trombonist Ronald Barron.

One program each spring features the winners of the juried Berkshire Symphony Student Soloist Competition; recent soloists have included pianists, vocalists, a cellist, violinists, flautists, a harpsichordist and a marimbist.

Programs 2007/2008:    Dec. 7, 2007   Feb. 29, 2008   April 11, 2008   Student Soloist Competition

Spring 2007 Photos Click here

Spring 2008 Rehearsal Photos, click here

2009-2010 Rehearsal Schedule: (subject to change)

First series:

John Williams: Close Encounters of the Third Kind ("Wild Signals" and "Let There Be Light"

John Corigliano: Altered States ("Hallucinations")

Danny Elfman: Edward Scissorhands ("Storytime")

Anton Bruckner: Oscar and Lucinda ("O Justi")

John Williams: Empire of the Sun ("Exsultate Justi")

Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (Ravel orchestration)

in Chapin Hall
10/4 7:30 - 10 (Student and Principal strings only)

Rehearsals and Concert in '62 Center, MainStage
10/8 7:30 - 10 (Mussorgsky / Corigliano)
10/11 7:30 - 10 (Mussorgsky / Corigliano / "Let There be LIght"
10/13 7:30 - 10 ("Exsultate Justi" / Elfman / Mussorgsky / Corigliano
10/15 7:30 - 10 DRESS REHEARSAL
concert 10/16 at 8:00pm

the following concert is at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield:
10/18 Sound Check: 12:30pm
concert at 2:00pm
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Second series;

Ralph Vaughan Williams, The Wasps: Overture

Luciano Berio: Rendering

Johannes Brahms: Double concerto for violin and cello, opus 102 in A Minor
Guest soloists: Haldan Martinson, violin and Mihail Jojatu, cello

Rehearsals and Concert in Chapin Hall
11/1 7:30 - 10 (Student and Principal strings only)
11/3 7:30 - 10 (Vaughan Williams / Berio / Brahms)
11/4 7:30 - 10 (Vaughan Williams / Berio / Brahms)
11/10 7:30 - 10 (Brahms / Berio - with soloists)
11/12 7:30 - 10 DRESS REHEARSAL
concert 11/13 at 8:00pm

the following concert is at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield:
11/15 Sound Check: 12:30pm
concert at 2:00pm
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Third series;

Edgard Varèse: Octandre

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia concertante, K. 364 (320d) in E-flat Major

Edgard Varèse: Intégrales

Johannes Brahms: Serenade No. 2 in A Major, opus 16

All rehearsals and the concert are in Chapin Hall
2/21 7:30 - 10 (Student and Principal Strings only)
3/2 7:30 - 10 (Verese - BOTH)
3/4 7:30 - 10 (Mozart / Brahms / Octandre)
3/9 7:30 - 10 (Mozart / Brahms / Intégrales)
3/11 7:30 - 10 DRESS REHEARSAL
concert 3/12 at 8:00pm
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Fourth series;

Featuring the winners of the 2010 Student Soloist Competition;

Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, opus 43

Rehearsal venue Chapin Hall:
4/18 1:00 - 3:30 (Student and Principal Strings ONLY)

Rehearsal venue '62 Center, AMT
4/20 7:30 - 10 (TBD)

Rehearsals and Concert in '62, MainStage:
4/27 7:30 - 10 (TBD)
4/28 7:30 - 10 (TBD)
4/29 7:30 - 10 DRESS REHEARSAL
concert 4/30 at 8:00pm