June 5 Concert
May 18th, 2009 schaurette
Rehearsal with Christopher and Mackenzie
March 19th, 2009 schaurette
Read an article about the SHS and the Concerto Contest in UMass Medical School’s Annual Report!
Concerto Contest Update
February 19th, 2009 schauretteThe Seven Hills Symphony is pleased to announce the winners of the 2008-2009 Youth Concerto Competition:
Christopher Coyne, oboe
Oboe Concerto, mvmt 2,3 - Albinoni
2nd Prize winner
Charles Colwell, cello
Cello Concerto in Bb, mvmt 1 - Boccherini
Co-Grand Prize winner
Mackenzie Melemed, piano
Piano Concerto in a minor, mvmt 1 - Grieg
Co - Grand Prize winner
Christopher, Charles, and Mackenzie will be performing with the Symphony on March 8, 2009.
Spring Concert
February 18th, 2009 schaurette
Map of UMass Medical School
November 19th, 2008 schaurette
Fall Concert Friday November 21, 2008
November 19th, 2008 schaurette
St. Paul’s Music Festival 2009
October 30th, 2008 schauretteThe Seven Hills Symphony will be taking part in the 2009 St. Paul’s Music Festival (www.stpaulsmusicfestival.org). Details are still in the works, but we are tentatively scheduled for a full concert on Saturday June 7, 2009. [Update: the concert has been scheduled for Friday June 6, 2009!] This is a really great festival in a beautiful hall. More info will follow when it is available.
In the meantime don’t forget to mark your calendar for SHS’s first concert of the year: November 21st at 7:30 in the Blaise Pavillion of the Lazare Research Building at UMass Medical School. See you there!
First Annual Concerto Competition
October 20th, 2008 schaurette
Sat. November 29, 2008
Recital Hall
M. Steinert & Sons
1 Gold Star Boulevard
Worcester, MA, 01605
ELIGIBILITY Students age 18 or younger (as of 11/29/08)
REPERTOIRE Any movement of a large scale work for solo instrument and orchestra.
Playing from memory is recommended but not required. Piano accompaniment is recommended but not required. Contestant must arrange for piano accompaniment for themselves.
AWARDS Winners will receive a scholarship to help fund further musical study.
Winners will be invited to perform with the Seven Hills Symphony at its concert on Sunday March 8, 2009.
APPLICATIONS Submit the application form to the following address: Seven Hills Symphony c/o Scott Chaurette 22 Alpha St Putnam, CT 06260
There is a $20 non-refundable application fee, payable to the Seven Hills Symphony. All applications must be post marked by November 12, 2008.
FOR MORE INFO Contact SHS Music Director, Scott Chaurette
781.354.6606, schaurette@gmail.com
Download the Application Here: Concerto Application
2008/09 Concert Calendar Now Available
July 31st, 2008 schauretteThe concert calendar for the Seven Hills Symphony is now available by clicking on the “concerts” tab above. Season highlights include the addition of a third concert, a youth concerto competition, and even more great music including Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3 and Symphony No. 5, Sibelius’ Finlandia, and Copland’s Outdoor Overture.
SHS article in Worcester Telegram and Gazette
May 13th, 2008 schauretteclick here to link to the article:
Friday, May 9, 2008
Healing art
Seven Hills Symphony orchestra emerges from UMass Medical School
By Richard Duckett TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
In 2005 an interesting flier was making its way around the campus of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.
“UMass Medical School Orchestra Information Meeting …”
Music was about to make an infusion.
Joanna Chaurette, an MD/PhD student, was new to the medical school and new to Worcester. She is also a cellist and is married to a musician.
“It has a really great hall and really good orchestras coming through,” she said of Mechanics Hall and the Worcester music scene. “But I thought it should have a community music group.”
The information meetings proved to be well attended. Later that year the Seven Hills Symphony orchestra gave its first concert on the UMass Medical School campus.
At 7:30 tonight the orchestra will be at a larger venue as it presents a spring concert in Worcester Technical High School. The concert, titled “Romantic Masters,” will include Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8, Berlioz’s Hungarian March, and Cello Concerto by Saint-Saens. Chaurette’s husband, Scott Chaurette, will conduct and also give a pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m.
The Seven Hills Symphony consists of 50 musicians who are variously medical students, graduate students, UMass professors, medical doctors, as well as people from all walks of life from the community at large. True to Chaurette’s prescription of what a community orchestra should be like, it is open to musicians of all levels of ability, weak or strong. Similarly true to a community-minded spirit, all Worcester Public Schools students will be admitted free for tonight’s performance.
“We wanted it to be fun. We wanted to make sure this is nonthreatening and everyone’s welcome,” Chaurette said. “I think the success of it has justified it.”
The orchestra now gives two concerts a year, and is thinking of expanding that to three. Seven Hills Symphony also puts on several chamber music performances each year. Rehearsals are every Sunday at the UMass Medical School campus.
Joanna Chaurette is originally from Kansas and received her undergraduate degree from UMass-Boston. Scott Chaurette is from Salem and is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory with a master’s degree from the University of Illinois. After a spell living in Worcester the couple moved to Putnam, Conn. Scott Chaurette is studying conducting at the University of Connecticut, where he is also a member of the faculty. Additionally, he is orchestra director at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, Conn. One other credit — he is music director of the Seven Hills Symphony.
“My husband is brilliant at picking music to play for the people we have,” Joanna Chaurette said of the orchestra programming to its strengths.
The first informational meetings were attended mostly by medical students and doctors. “And then they told their friends, and the friends told their friends.” Chaurette said she wanted a full orchestra, and soon had one. “It was mostly by word of mouth.”
The idea of forming an orchestra that would be based at a medical school is not quite the misdiagnosis some might think it to be. “A lot of orchestras are affiliated with medical schools,” Chaurette said. For example, the Longwood Symphony Orchestra was established in 1982 by members of the Harvard Medical School community. The dual mission of the LSO is to provide opportunities for musicians in the medical professions to perform works of musical diversity and artistic excellence while supporting health-related nonprofit organizations.
Is there a link between science, medicine and music?
“There is kind of an overlap. I think there is something,” Chaurette said.
But, as was mentioned earlier, the Seven Hills Symphony welcomes everyone. Auditions are performer friendly. “We encourage people to bring their own instruments for auditions and play so we know how you sound. Then you meet the conductor.” He’s good at “fitting people in.”
At the first public concert there were people on stage who had never played in an orchestra before. Others had not played in one for 20 or so years, Chaurette recalled.
“It was exciting for everyone.” Furthermore, the hall at UMass where they performed was packed. “That was amazing. I expected fewer people in the audience than playing.”
The Seven Hills Symphony has continued to grow, but appropriately enough for an orchestra, there are ringers.
“We shore up first violinist and second violinist,” she said of professional musicians who are brought in for public performances. The guest soloist for tonight’s concert will be renowned cello virtuoso Kangho Lee, who is professor of cello and chamber music at the University of Connecticut.
Meanwhile, “We have strong people in every section. It works out,” Chaurette said. “We have some weak players, but that’s part of the fun — to have something that everyone can participate in. The conductor is very good at leading the orchestra. He gives everyone a lot of confidence in themselves.”
Of course, Chaurette might be a bit biased in making that assessment.
But how good is the orchestra, really?
“For a community group they play some things really well. We play amazing music,” Chaurette said.
“And Dvorak is Dvorak. No matter who’s playing it, the music’s there and the music really does come through because of the beauty of the pieces. Dvorak is gonna be Dvorak, and it’s gonna be beautiful.”
And in this case perhaps, just what the doctor ordered.
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