The Emory University Symphony Orchestra (EUSO) presented their first virtual concert on Oct. 24, performing pieces by Georges Bizet, Johann Sebastian Bach, Dmitri Shostakovich and more. From the iconically ceremonious trumpets of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” to the swift and jovial strings of Bizet’s "L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2,” the pieces selected for the performance were diverse in tone. In addition, three talented student composers debuted original compositions.
The virtual event was a remarkably unique experience and unlike any I had ever seen before. For one, all the student musicians were performing from either their bedroom, living room or a practice room at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts on campus. There was a certain unconventional quality to the performance that engaged me beyond the music. Perhaps it was the novelty of seeing classical music performed by people in everyday clothes. Nothing beats seeing artistry up close, even if it is only through a computer screen.
If the task of conducting a symphony orchestra over the internet sounds complicated, that’s because it is. In an interview, Conductor Paul Bhasin asked me to imagine 85 people playing a Ludwig van Beethoven symphony or an Igor Stravinsky art ballet.
“They have to record the entire part, essentially free of mistakes, in a perfectly coordinated rhythmic framework so that their part can be seamlessly synchronized with all the other 85 parts,” Bhasin said.
During a short intermission, the audience was treated to a series of Zoom interviews that featured students discussing what it was like practicing and recording their pieces.
"As much as I dislike listening to myself, I do think it helps me realize things about my playing that I otherwise wouldn't have noticed," Oboe player Ji won Lee (21C) said. “So it's honestly been one of the main methods I've used to improve as a player.”
The event concluded with a hilarious blooper reel of seemingly all the things that could go wrong while recording. Some of the mishaps included the sound of a doorbell interrupting a cellist’s take, a violinist’s bow flying out of their hand while playing, someone’s little sister accidentally entering the room and an audio issue that made a violin sound like an autotuned chipmunk. Luckily, the performers all had a sense of humor about it.
To recreate the full reverb of a theater hall, sound engineering software was used to mix and master the performance. Bhasin described the process as similar to how rock ‘n’ roll and pop groups add artificial reverb to studio recordings in a way that warms up the sound.
The mixing and mastering was a collaborative effort between the conductor, Atlanta-based composer and violinist Alice Hong and two members of the orchestra, Eric Zhang (23C) and Yihoon Shin (23C).
“It’s just a testament to the team spirit of the orchestra that two violinists were willing to really devote a considerable amount of time and many hours in order to pull off this production,” Bhasin said, expressing his gratitude.
Toward the latter half of the event, three Emory composers, Matthew Chau (21C), Chris Fenger (21C) and Joshua MacLean (21C) premiered their senior compositions. Although each composer was limited to three groups of instruments, the finished works displayed an enormous musical presence.
Chau, a math and computer science major with six years of composing experience, presented “The Rumble,” a dynamic piece inspired by Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 1” that manipulated the pitches of eight instruments to cover a full range of sounds.
Fenger, a composition major with three years of composing experience, debuted “Reflections in the Whirlpool,” an atmospheric arrangement of low strings and marimbas, coupled with a neon-colored sci-fi visualizer.
MacLean’s “Pulse” was inspired heavily by Vivaldi, as he aimed to reconstruct his “lush orchestration of strings” using brass instruments, a soaring flute melody and reverb to mesh the sound together. The short piece was accompanied by a black-and-white film of trees swaying in the wind in tranquility.
Another hallmark of the evening was the presentation of two scenes from the unreleased film, “Sister Carrie,” directed by Chicago-based art-house director, Daniel Nearing, known for critically acclaimed films "Chicago Heights" (2009) and "Hogtown” (2014). The film was scored by Bhasin and features the professional-level playing of Emory's student musicians. It’s not very common that undergraduate students get to be credited for working on a film score and it is an exemplification of Emory’s culture of professor-student partnerships.
“It’s humbling for me, as a composer,” Bhasin said about the rare opportunity. “To hear your own music played at a high level by students you are also mentoring is just a really special, fulfilling experience.”
While it is uncertain when the EUSO will reunite on the stage again, Bhasin reassured me that the future is hopeful. With “small chamber orchestra” performances planned for next semester, he mentioned that it wouldn’t be long before “we’re all back together.”
“What we’re doing now goes beyond just a placeholder exercise,” Bhasin said. “This virtual space can be a workspace that is in tandem with in-person [activities]. I don’t think it’s ever going to go away.”
