By The Keystone Newspaper Learn, perform, and share experiences in the KU Orchestra and other music programs
By Timothy Noll
Dr. Isaacson is enthusiastic about the wealth of music opportunities here at KU, both on and off campus. He has directed the KU Orchestra for the past eight years, a passion he spent much of his life pursuing. He also holds three degrees in violin performance and teaches violin classes at KU.
Photo Credit: Dylan McKeown; @mckeown.captures
The music department has designed five degree programs that encompass music business, production, and performance. This makes the music department the largest one at KU. Dr. Isaacson also allows music students’ compositions to be performed at the KU Orchestra’s shows. Moreover, students from any major are welcome to audition and perform in the orchestra.
Since the ensemble is open to any KU student from any major, concert plans and rehearsals are somewhat fluid in nature. Each member has their own level of experience and different schedules. As the year goes on, Dr. Isaacson works to assess the group’s strengths and weaknesses. He aims to allow education and growth for the students while providing a successful free concert. With these balances in mind, the orchestra is still able to display their adeptness at every concert.
The orchestra at KU also features guest artists who play at their concerts. The first concert this semester featured pianist Calla Jin, and pianist David Adam Maltz of Vienna, Austria played at the Nov. 7 concert. Mr. Maltz performed with a unique instrument known as a fortepiano. KU’s Orchestra has also collaborated with other groups such as the Reading Choral Society. They have also performed at other venues across the state in Muhlenberg, at the Miller Center for the Arts, and even at Carnegie Hall in 2019.
Beyond U.S. borders, international music scholarships have been arranged by President Hawkinson. The scholarships enable students to connect with the University of Macedonia over the summer in Thessaloniki, Greece, and a university in London, England. Likewise, students from other countries are also able to come perform and learn music at KU.
Photo Credit: McKenna Maguire
The latest addition to the music department is a performer’s certificate. This is geared towards post-baccalaureate students working towards their master’s degree. The certificate is about a year old and has been taken by many students, including an exchange student from Chile.
All students from the department of music can participate in a concerto competition on Monday, Dec. 2. Many of the performances at Schaeffer Auditorium–and all of the orchestra concerts–are free and open to the public. Those students will then have a chance to be featured next semester in a KU repertoire concert. Dr. Isaacson also looks at compositions by those who take Professor Jamal Jones’s orchestration class and has included them in past concerts.
The next orchestra concert will be on Saturday, Dec. 7, and students who practice conducting are given the opportunity to exhibit their skills at this show. After that, the orchestra will be performing at the 2024 Holiday Concert with the rest of the music department. That concert is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 8, prior to finals week. The schedule of events from the KU music department is found here, on the KU website. KU Presents! events are listed on the website here.