The university Symphony Orchestra played their final concert of the year.

On the evening of Dec. 4, the Symphony Orchestra performed a nine song set in the auditorium of the Pottle Music Building. Headed by conductor Dr. Victor Correa-Cruz, the orchestra played works by composers including Franz Joseph Haydn, Mozart and Handel. 

Ashley Ducre, a sophomore nursing major, was in attendance at the performance, she shared what she found was unique and interesting about the performance.

“I enjoyed the variety of styles played during the concert,” said Ducre. “I like how they brought in soloists from different instrumental groups. It helped to give the concert a different feel.”

Ducre also plays clarinet in the Spirit of the Southland Marching Band. She commented on how this experience made her listen to specific things in the concert.

 “It really made me listen to the intonation and the different voices across the sections and across the ensemble,” explained Ducre.

Chandler Sumner, a music graduate student, performed in the ensemble, serving as the trumpet soloist for Haydn’s “Concerto for Trumpet in Eb Major” and played trumpet in all of the songs in the second portion of the performance. 

He experienced differences between performing with an orchestra and the blind symphony.  

“It’s a lot different,” said Sumner. “Playing in an orchestra is definitely way different than wind ensemble. It’s a more delicate sound. You have to listen a lot more, but it’s also really fun because in wind symphony and in jazz band and stuff like that we hear a lot of the wind sound.”

Sumner included that other performances have a much different sound to them, and that it’s nice to be able to appreciate the other instruments.

“It’s always nice to hear the other side of music, the strings side with piano and violins and bass and it’s just a completely different sound and it’s a different playing setting,” mentioned Sumner. “It’s a lot more difficult in my opinion I think to play in orchestra than a wind ensemble.”

Sumner also commented on having to play solo for almost all of the songs, not just for his solo.

“In orchestra, at least all the wind players, it’s one on a part, so you have to make sure you know your part up and down,” said Sumner. “Your intonation has to be spot on. Everything has to be perfect, all the little tiny details. It’s a lot more than for a wind ensemble.”

The concert ended with a standing ovation from the audience shortly after the orchestra broke into song during Intermezzo to “La Boda de Luis Alonso.” Dr. Correa-Cruz ended the concert wishing the audience a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in their last performance of the year.