| Do
You Play an Instrument? |
The
Caltech/Occidental College
Orchestra is a full seventy-piece orchestra comprised
of students, faculty, and staff at Caltech and nearby Occidental
College. The orchestra meets once per week and gives three
pairs of concerts annually, both on the Caltech and Occidental campuses. Recent programs have included symphonies by Mahler,
Brahms, and Beethoven, as well as contemporary compositions.
The orchestra also sponsors an annual concerto competition
to give exceptionally accomplished student soloists the opportunity
to perform with the orchestra. |
There are two Caltech Jazz Bands and each group rehearses one night a week. The bands often invite local jazz professionals to perform as guest artists and clinicians. Some past clinicians include members of "Big Bad Voodoo Daddy", the "Brian Setzer Orchestra", Gordin Goodwin’s Big Phat Band”, Bill Holman from the Bill Holman Band, and members of the great Count Basie and Duke Ellington Orchestras. Artists who have played with the bands include: Billy Childs, Steve Houghton, Bill Watrous, Bobby Shew, Gary Foster, Sal Lazono, Wayne Bergeron, and Greg Bisonette. The Jazz Bands latest CD The Capitol Sessions, was recorded at the famous Capitol Studios in Hollywood.
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The Concert Band only rehearses once a week and performs three major concerts a year. Artists who have performed with the Concert Band include clarinetists David Schiffren, Julia Heinen, Eddie Daniels, trumpeters Tony Plog and Allen Vizzutti, tuba virtuoso Jim Self, and oboist Allan Vogel. Major works in past years include performances of compositions by Frank Ticheli, Gustav Holst, Stanley Friedman, David Gillingham, Eric Whitacre, Rolf Ruden, Raymond Burkhart, Les Deutsch, and Charles Ives. The Concert Band has recorded two CD's that are available for sale at the Caltech Bookstore.
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Approximately thirty trios, quartets and quintets
of varying instrumentation comprise Caltech's Chamber
Music ensembles. Instrumentalists are grouped with those of
similar abilities and rehearse weekly in preparation for public
recitals, master classes and occasional performance for campus
parties. Ensembles perform a wide variety of music ranging from
Renaissance dances for recorders to Baroque trio sonatas, Classical
string quartets, piano quartets by the Romantic masters, and the
twentieth century music for winds. The Chamber Music Program also
includes music for piano four-hands and two pianos. |
| Class instruction in Guitar is
offered each term. Beginning Guitar requires
no previous experience and provides an introduction to basic
technique and musicianship, and includes classical, flamenco,
and folk as well as jazz chord system. Intermediate
Guitar emphasizes reading notes on the entire fingerboard
and offers a more thorough study of classical technique and musicianship. Advanced
Guitar, for the serious student, provides exploration
of the expanded classical repertoire and a thorough treatment
of musical interpretation and performance techniques. Works from
the Renaissance through the Contemporary period are covered. |
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