The concert, at Babson College's Sorenson Center for the Arts, will feature pieces by Haydn, John Williams, Mozart, Astor Piazzolla, plus 3 short original compositions by Olin College students.
The Olin Conductorless Orchestra (OCO)—an ensemble, minus conductor—features instrumentalists in leadership and collaborative roles. Dedicated to orchestral performance in the concerted spirit of chamber music, the orchestra forges individual participation, active listening, and group-motivation into performances that have established it as the only conductorless orchestra of its kind at an American college. With an essentially flat hierarchy that incorporates an ever-evolving sense of culture and cooperation as a working ensemble, OCO functions as an effective team of musicians—regardless of position—comprising students, faculty, and external guests, all dedicated to making the best music possible. As a result, everyone pulls his/her weight, especially necessary in an orchestra of 15 players where each instrumentalist is often carrying a line intended for many. The musicians also fill various roles such as ‘piece leaders’, ‘section leaders’, Sibelius transcribers, and navigator. In collaborating with each other, sometimes intensely and often with humor, the orchestra has consistently risen to a higher level each semester since its inception in the Fall of 2001.
Reception following the concert.
