The Houghton Philharmonia is a flexible group of 50-60 orchestral musicians, including strings, winds, and percussion. Both music majors and non-music majors participate in these ensembles, supplemented at times by players from the College communities. Student membership is open; seating assignments are made based on brief, low-pressure auditions. Several orchestral concerts are presented each year in the John and Charles Wesley Chapel on the Houghton College campus.

The orchestra rehearses and performs repertoire from all the major musical eras—works of Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Post-Romantic, and later Twentieth-Century masters, including music by living composers. Players are also sometimes exposed to further significant, high-quality orchestral music in repertory reading sessions. Typically, a bi-annual soloist competition is held; winners perform with the orchestra.

A typical week in the life of the orchestra includes four hours of full-ensemble rehearsal. The strings are also instructed during the week by Dr. Donna Lorenzo, Assistant Professor of Violin & Viola, in the Philharmonia Strings Lab. Prayer times and shared devotional thoughts are regular features of rehearsals, as well.

The upcoming 2010-11 repertoire will feature two major symphonies by master composers, plus significant excerpts from Haydn’s The Creation, with the Houghton College Choir. The concert season will include two full-orchestra concerts, a shared program with Houghton’s choral and wind ensembles, contributions to the second annual Christmas Prism event. Other composers represented during this banner season include Beethoven, Bartok, Barber, Holst, Debussy, Saint-Saëns, Dvorak, and Haydn.

The Houghton Philharmonia is under the direction of Brian Casey (BA, Harding University; MM, University of Delaware; DA, University of Northern Colorado). Dr. Casey also teaches conducting and horn, as well as advising/teaching advanced and graduate conductors and coordinating chamber music programming.

Prospective students: Are you planning to visit the Houghton College campus? If so, we invite you to visit a Philharmonia rehearsal (Tuesday and Thursday afternoons) during your stay. Rehearsals are always open; please e-mail us for details.

Email the Music Director, Brian Casey

Dr. Casey’s Bio

Extended Professional Info Page

See additional Philharmonia photos on Dr. Casey's personal pages

CONCERT CALENDAR

Below is the Philharmonia performance calendar for 2010-2011, with key musical works to be included on each occasion. Student soloists competition winners will be programmed in October, November, or April.

Saturday, October 9, 2010, 8:00 P.M. John and Charles Wesley Chapel
Movements and Motions: Autumn Spectrum
• Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”
• Bartok: Sketches and Bagatelles
• Khachaturian: Masquerade Suite

Friday, November 12, 2010 (Music Opportunities Weekend, joint concert with Symphonic Winds and College Choir) with Instrumental Soloists (competition winner)
•Telemann: "Die Relinge" Overture

Monday, November 15 , 2010, 8:00 P.M. John and Charles Wesley Chapel
Chamber orchestra and Andrews Memorial string recital program including:
• Barber: Adagio
• McAlister: Lou’s Mountain Bread

Friday-Saturday, December 3-4, 2010, 8:00 P.M. Wesley Chapel
4th Annual Christmas Prism—gala dramatic-musical-liturgical event

Friday, February 18, 2011, 8:00 P.M. Wesley Chapel
February in France (joint concert with Symphonic Winds)
• Debussy: Prelude à l’Apres-midi d’un Faune
• Debussy: Rapsodie (Dr. Chisato Eda Marling, saxophone)
• Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals (excerpts)

Friday, April 29, 2011, 8:00 P.M. Wesley Chapel
Masterworks Concert Showcase (with College Choir)
• Dvorák: Symphony No. 8
• Haydn: The Creation (excerpts)

CHAMBER MUSIC

The Camerata Chamber Orchestra is a smaller group of string, wind, and percussion players selected from within the Philharmonia for specific pieces. This season, the Chamber Orchestra musicians will perform two works (November and February).

Throughout the year, collaborating on other chamber music programming with smaller ensembles are Donna Lorenzo, Director of Strings; Paul DeBoer, Professor of Brass Instruments and director of the Houghton Brass Ensemble; Ernest Lascell, Instructor of Clarinet and Woodwinds, and additional studio teachers.

APPLIED MUSIC FACULTY

The string faculty at Houghton College consists of Donna Lorenzo, viola and violin and Director of Strings (BM Houghton; MM, Juilliard School of Music; DMA, Eastman School of Music), Rintaro Wada, cello (MM, Eastman), Brett Shurtliffe, double bass (MM, Duquesne University), Nan Richmond, harp (DMA, Eastman), and Anton Machleder, guitar (DMA, Eastman).

* For information on string scholarship auditions and applied study, please e-mail Dr. Lorenzo.

Houghton’s wind and percussion faculty consists of Euridice Alvarez, oboe (DMA candidate, Eastman); Brian Casey, horn; Paul DeBoer, trumpet, trombone, and euphonium (DMus, Indiana University); Chisato Eda, saxophone (DMA, Eastman); Ernest Lascell, clarinet (MM, Northwestern); Angela Kinney McBrearty, flute (PhD, Eastman); Abe Weiss, bassoon (MM); Craig Sutherland, tuba (MM, Julliard); and Jim Tiller, percussion (MM, Eastman).