The Southeastern Louisiana University Chamber Orchestra performs "Monday Night Serenades," their first concert of the season. Annie Goodman/The Lion's Roar
After Dr. Yakov Voldman retired from the university last spring, Lecturer of Viola and Violin Zorica Dimova stepped up as the new director of the Southeastern Louisiana University Chamber Orchestra.
The Chamber Orchestra, founded in 1993 by Voldman, had its first performance of the semester on Monday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Pottle Hall Auditorium. The concert was titled “Monday Night Serenades.”
Senior music education major Michelle Brister attended the concert as part of the music major curriculum.
“It was beautiful,” said Brister. “Everything through art comes from classical music. The way the music was written is beautiful.”
The concert opened with Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.” This was Brister’s favorite part due to its popularity.
“The first piece was familiar to me,” said Brister. “I don't know the name. It was familiar to me because I hear it all around. There were certain parts that I hadn't heard. It was interesting to me to hear those other parts, those other movements of that piece of music.”
Music performance graduate student Marta Turianska, who played violin, is from Ukraine where her parents are musicians as well. Turianska preferred the songs they played by Sir Edward William Elgar over the selections by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
“I think for Tchaikovsky, we need more people,” said Turianska, “We were a small orchestra, and I think Elgar in this can sound better.”
Brister believes people should attend future Chamber Orchestra events because she feels the piece selections each have a history of their own.
“I would recommend other students to come here and listen to this music because you just have to know the background,” said Brister. “When you listen to this music, there is a background and there's a story behind all this music. I think people should come out and listen to this music.”
According to their webpage, the Chamber Orchestra averages three performances per semester and often features department of music and performing arts faculty as soloists to enhance the learning experience of their students.
