Strings - Orchestra Festival

The Calvin String Orchestra Festival has proven to be an exciting event that brings together three high school programs, an outstanding guest conductor and the Calvin campus and its students. The sound of 100 string players on one stage is incredible to behold and clinics for each individual high school group provide inspiration and challenge. The one-day event begins with sectionals that are led by Calvin College faculty/Grand Rapids Symphony musicians. Following lunch and a short recital by Calvin students, the clinics are held, allowing each program to play for the guest conductor and receive encouragement as well as tips for improving as an ensemble. All three high school groups then join a handful of Calvin College students in one massive rehearsal with the guest maestro. After dinner, the Calvin College Orchestra leads off the concert, followed by the Festival Orchestra. When all is done, there remains a rich collage of memories - playing under a famous conductor, being part of a large orchestra that plays great music and maybe a new friend. If your high school orchestra program would be interested in participating in the future, contact Dr. David Reimer for more information.

2011 Orchestra Festival

Calvin Orchestra Festival 2011 featured string students from Calvin Christian (Erin DeYoung, conductor), East Grand Rapids (Mary Hillyard) and Hudsonville (Adam Davis) High Schools, performing works by Mozart and Walton. The guest conductor for the day was Raymond Harvey, the Music Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony. The amazing sound of 100+ string players was again one of the highlights, as well as clinics for each of the participating schools with Maestro Harvey. The students also enjoyed a recital by Calvin College students, including bassist Mark Juel, the Gioioso String Quartet, pianist Daniel Oram and the vocal duet of Tessa Grindle-deGraaf and Fitah Rasendrahasina.

2009 Orchestra Festival

Dr. David Bowden was the guest conductor for the 2009 Orchestra Festival. String Orchestras from Forest Hills Northern (Mark Kotchenruther), Unity Christian (Sarah Jager) and Walled Lake Western (Valerie Palmieri) performed the Adagietto from Mahler's Fifth Symphony and The Dargason from Holst's St. Paul Suite. The Calvin College Orchestra added works by Corigliano, Piazzolla and Elgar to the program. Due to the renovation of Calvin's Fine Arts Center, the evening performance took place at the Forest Hills Northern High School Auditorium. The day of sectionals, rehearsals and clinics also included a short recital by Calvin College students Michael Byun (piano), Andrea Waldo (voice) and the Gioioso String Quartet.

2008 Orchestra Festival

The string players of Grand Rapids Christian High School (John Blakemore), Holland Christian High School (Scott Vandenberg) and Traverse City West High School (Catherine Sivits) participated in the annual festival that concluded with a performance of movements from the Benjamin Britten Simple Symphony and Dag Wiren's String Serenade. The guest conductor was Vincent Danner, an inspirational director who is the former assistant conductor of the Memphis Symphony. The full day of sectionals, clinics and rehearsals also included a showcase recital of Calvin College students, including soprano Jennifer Jones, sister flautists Laura and Anna Schipper, the duo piano team of Brian Odegaard and Airin Efferin and the Gioioso String Quartet.

2007 Orchestra Festival

The 2007 String Orchestra Festival was the fourth annual occurence of this program at Calvin College after years of dormancy. Chelsea Tipton II, resident conductor of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, traveled to Grand Rapids on October 24th to be the guest conductor for the '07 festival. After sectionals and lunch, he worked with each of the participating high school groups: Forest Hills Central (conducted by Laurie Boomers), Calvin Christian (conducted by Erin DeYoung) and St. Joseph (conducted by Steve Reed). Then came the rehearsal and concert, featuring Samuel Barber's famous Adagio for Strings and Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. Combined with the Calvin College Orchestra's performance of a movement from Mahler's First Symphony, it was a marvelous concert for a very appreciative audience.

2006 Orchestra Festival

David Lockington made a return visit as the Festival guest conductor, directing the combined orchestras in a performance of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (1st movement) and the beautiful Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan-Williams. Calvin College students were the featured soloists in the Vaughan-Williams, including Christine Witte (violin I), Esther Miller (violin II), Rachel Stehouwer (viola) and Jonathon Wiest (cello). Participating high school programs included Troy High School (Alan MacNair, conductor), Unity Christian HS (Sara Jager, conductor) and a small group of outstanding home school students.

2005 Orchestra Festival

The first resumption of the Orchestra Festival featured the highly regarded conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony, David Lockington. The excitement was palpable as Maestro Lockington worked with participating schools Grand Rapids Christian (John Blakemore), Forest Hills North (Mark Kotchenruther) and West Ottawa (John Scholten). The event culminated in a performance of the Elegy from Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings and a Handel Concerto Grosso, featuring solos by Calvin College students Philip McMillan (violin) and Sarah Wittingen (cello).