All Roads Lead To Carnegie

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How do you get to Carnegie Hall? I could answer that with the punch line to the old joke, but it’s more interesting to see how six orchestras are preparing to go there for the Spring for Music Festival.

For six straight evenings from May 7 through May 12, these north American orchestras will travel to New York’s famous venue, Carnegie Hall. Each orchestra has a diverse and exceptional program, and many have customized their repertoire to be regionally insightful.

Besides looking through the Spring for Music Festival website, which has an excellent RSS feed, have a look at the Carnegie Hall Website event calendar which offers links to some sample sound clips and other information about each of the six concerts.  Below is the list of the orchestras for this season’s festival concerts, listed in appearance order. Each orchestra has their own style and method for getting the word out about their concert night. Some orchestras offer travel packages while others share videos and blogs; and I’m curious to know what you think of each orchestra’s website efforts.

[threecol_one][button link=”http://www.houstonsymphony.org/carnegiehall2012/” size=”large” bg_color=”#6C7660″ border=”#D3D0BA”]Houston[/button] [/threecol_one] [threecol_one][button link=”http://www.esoinnyc.com/” size=”large” bg_color=”#6C7660″ border=”#D3D0BA”]Edmonton[/button][/threecol_one] [threecol_one_last][button link=”http://www.njsymphony.org/carnegie/” size=”large” bg_color=”#6C7660″ border=”#D3D0BA”]New Jersey[/button][/threecol_one_last]

[threecol_one][button link=”http://www.alabamasymphony.org/carnegiedetails.htm” size=”large” bg_color=”#6C7660″ border=”#D3D0BA”]Alabama[/button][/threecol_one] [threecol_one][button link=”http://www.mso.org/” size=”large” bg_color=”#6C7660″ border=”#D3D0BA”]Milwaukee[/button][/threecol_one] [threecol_one_last][button link=”http://roadtocarnegie.com/” size=”large” bg_color=”#6C7660″ border=”#D3D0BA”]Nashville[/button][/threecol_one_last]

What is truly extraordinary to me is the ticket price. All tickets are just $25, however there is a deal on the Spring for Music website that offers “buy 4 concerts get 6 concerts.”  Is there a better way to test drive such a rich cross section of North America’s orchestras? And for those that can’t make it to New York during that week, each concert will be streamed live on WQXR.

I have dear friends, teachers, mentors, and family in all of these orchestras performing this year (and next, too!)  and know firsthand the excitement and verve as I watch their Twitter and Facebook  accounts share their own preparation and anticipation for these concerts.

The road to Carnegie for North American orchestras goes both directions. Not only is there an excitement  for sharing diverse concert programs with audiences in New York and those listening to the live stream, but the benefit of pride and exposure for the hometown team should help perpetuate and validate symphonic music and culture for years to come.

[box type=”note” style=”rounded”]Full Disclosure Mode: I currently perform as an extra with the Milwaukee Symphony and Nashville Symphony, and will be performing with Nashville during their Carnegie performance.[/box]

About Holly Mulcahy

After hearing Scheherazade at an early age, Holly Mulcahy fell in love with the violin and knew it would be her future. She currently serves as concertmaster of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. She spends her summers at the celebrated Grand Teton Music Festival. Believing in music as a healing and coping source, Holly founded Arts Capacity, a charitable 501(c)3 which focuses on bringing live chamber music, art, artists, and composers to prisons. Arts Capacity addresses many emotional and character-building issues people face as they prepare for release into society. Holly performs on a 1917 Giovanni Cavani violin, previously owned by the late renowned soloist Eugene Fodor, and a bespoke bow made by award winning master bow maker, Douglas Raguse.

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