On Monday, the Phillips Academy Symphony Orchestra collaborated with Cornell University’s Orchestra, performing repertoire for each other and then partnering up for a joint rehearsal of around 150 total students in the recently-opened concert hall in Falls Music Center. The students from Cornell’s orchestra visited Andover as a part of their Boston tour, marking the start of touring again after being shut down for the past few years.
Derek Jacoby, Conductor of the Phillips Academy Symphony Orchestra and Instructor in Music, explained the process of organizing this collaboration. As Cornell searched for collaborations around the Boston area, they found Andover to fit their needs.
“When they contacted us originally, they were putting together their tour. They were trying to think about things that would work well for them, and they watched a Boston Symphony concert and had master classes with some Boston Symphony musicians. And so they were looking at schools in the area that seemed to match the profile of Cornell. They wrote [to us] and asked if we’d be interested in doing anything [with them],” said Jacoby.
The preparation for the large rehearsal required logistical planning from both schools. From setting up rehearsal spaces to coordinating the schedule, Jacoby emphasized the different personnel and efforts that went into the collaboration. Considering how recently Falls Music Center was opened, using the new concert hall for the event took careful preparation.
“[The Office of Physical Plant] and the custodial staff were hugely helpful [in] making a lot of the things possible. They gave a lot of support. The custodians, electricians, and [the] people who had built the building, everybody came together to make the logistics for it work. It was challenging to use the concert hall in a way that it hadn’t been used yet for the first time, which is a way that it was designed to be used and capable of, but everything was new, so everything was a process of making sure this works, figuring out how to get it to happen and then and then making it happen,” said Jacoby.
The musical preparation for the rehearsal was also challenging, especially for the student musicians. The Andover orchestra was given the piece before the winter break, and each rehearsal was critical to learning the challenging repertoire. For Allison Lee ’28, it was difficult to quickly learn the music over break to prepare for the rehearsal.
“[The orchestra] only rehearsed two or three times before collaborating with Cornell. However, I’m sure a lot of our fellow musicians practiced individually, on their own time, and put a lot of effort into this very important event that we all looked forward to. I personally practiced a lot over winter break since I was really excited for this event,” said Lee.
Overall, the collaboration was a success, as many members of Andover’s orchestra appreciated the rehearsal, seeing it as an enjoyable and memorable introduction to symphonic orchestras outside of Andover’s. With a lot of interaction between musicians from both schools, Andover students were able to learn more about how college ensembles perform. For Matthew Wei ’28, a violinist, talking with another violinist from Cornell was the highlight of his experience.
“My stand partner was this one girl, I think her name was Abby, and she was so good at violin, I cannot believe how good she was. And the collaboration was so nice, because not only were we able to rehearse with them, we also got to have deep, meaningful connections with these people and understand how life as a musician goes beyond high school,” said Wei.
Upon consideration, Jacoby added that the event turned out better than he had expected. He reflected that it was particularly beneficial for Andover students as they got to hear an experienced group perform in Andover’s very own concert hall. Working alongside Cornell musicians in the rehearsal and learning from Cornell’s conductor allowed students to hone their musical and social skills.
“We did everything that I would hoped for and then more. Getting to watch part of their rehearsal helps us see how other orchestras work, having them specifically perform for us was great. I mean they were a wonderful group and it was good for us to hear what a really strong orchestra sounds like in our own hall. I think the collaboration in terms of the joint rehearsal went very well and hearing the 150-person orchestra all really together and playing well was amazing. ” said Jacoby.