Selin Oh, Camerata Orchestra cellist and senior, reviews her chamber music at the beginning of SRT. Ohly-Davis said light refreshments, namely cookies and punch, will be served at the event.

The CHS performing arts department is gearing up for the upcoming chamber music recital, in the orchestra room (P100) on Jan. 30 at 5 p.m.

According to director of orchestras Elisabeth Ohly-Davis, this recital is unique because students are presented with the opportunity to gain team-working skills. She also said this recital is “coffee house” style, in that the audience is welcome to come and go between musical selections and listen to as much or as little as they wish; in addition, there will be a few short intermissions when the audience can mingle and talk with students.

Ohly-Davis said, “For the students, the challenge (with chamber music) is learning to work without an adult presence. Learning how to develop a group ensemble in the context of a piece is more difficult, unlike when someone else is instructing you on everything in orchestral music with phrasing and musicality. You have to do all of that as a student and make thoughtful artistic choices. When you play in chamber music, you realize that every person is a leader. So, we hope the experience of chamber music can be taken and applied to an orchestral setting.”

Selin Oh, Camerata cellist and senior, said she is looking forward to the chamber music recital. She also said the recital is an important part of the orchestra program at this school.

“I’m really appreciative of the fact that it is entirely student-led,” Oh said. “(Chamber music) gives us an opportunity to explore the types of music we wouldn’t usually play and also explore different types of leadership skills that we usually don’t get to experience in the orchestra setting, while at the same time bonding and forming new friendships.”  By Adhi Ramkumar 

http://www.carmelorchestras.org