Miami Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble to perform at OMEA conference in January
Selections are part of ‘very special year’ of music for the university
Miami Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble to perform at OMEA conference in January
The university’s Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra were both selected to perform at the event, scheduled for Jan. 29-31 in Columbus, through a blind peer review process.
“It’s a very special year for Miami,” said Ricardo Averbach, professor of Music, director of Orchestra Studies, and conductor of the Miami University Symphony Orchestra (MUSO).
Daniel Farr, director of bands and assistant professor of Music, called the opportunity “incredibly gratifying” for his Wind Ensemble. The selection for the OMEA conference follows the Wind Ensemble’s invitation to perform at the North Central Conference of the College Band Directors National Association this coming April in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“One of our goals is to showcase the artistry and strength of music education happening here at Miami,” Farr said.
Both the Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble will hold two concerts each on Miami’s campus this semester.
The Wind Ensemble will perform Oct. 8 and Nov. 24, while Symphony Orchestra concerts are Oct. 31 and Dec. 4. All performances will be held in Hall Auditorium.
Averbach noted the orchestra will perform the soundtrack to the 1931 film “Frankenstein” during a showing of the movie for the Halloween performance. The December concert will be devoted to the works of female composers, including the premiere of a piece written by Helen Hagan, who was the first Black female to earn a degree from Yale when she graduated from the Yale School of Music in 1912.
There are approximately 70 members in the orchestra, which celebrated its 120th anniversary during the 2023-2024 academic year.
The orchestra is also a finalist in three categories for The American Prize for 2025, one of the nation’s most prestigious competitions for recognizing excellence in classical music performance and composition. A piece commissioned for the orchestra’s anniversary is a finalist for Orchestral Composition in the Professional Division, while Averbach is a finalist for Orchestral Conducting and Miami for Orchestral Performance, both in the College/University Division.
The American Prize winners are expected to be announced by the end of the year.
“I was totally thrilled,” Averbach said of the invitation to perform at OMEA. “We recently celebrated our 120th anniversary, and we have many incredible projects coming up.”
Farr began his second academic year at Miami this fall, and he’s looking forward to what will be a busy, but fulfilling, year two with 50-55 expected members of the Wind Ensemble.
“It’s rewarding and encouraging to know that the skills our musicians are honing here stand up to a level of scrutiny, and they will have the opportunity to showcase their abilities,” Farr said.
Performing at both conferences is part of what Farr called his “five-year plan.” That they both happened so early in his tenure has been an exciting development.
“It’s a testament to how hard our students work and how excited they were to go on that journey last year,” Farr said. “We’ll keep on pushing that way to Columbus and then up to Ann Arbor.”
