EMMA DUTCHER, CELLO

Earliest Memories

I first heard about LGSO through my friends and peers who played in the orchestra as fellows. A year or so later, I was also invited to be a fellow! I auditioned with my orchestra pieces and made it in, which was so exciting!

My first concert was The Nutcracker at Young Auditorium. I remember that concert cycle very vividly because when I was a kid, I used to dance in The Nutcracker every year. The piece is incredibly close to my heart and is one of my favorite pieces ever. I know almost all of the numbers by heart. Playing that music myself for the first time, in that first rehearsal of the fall, made me incredibly emotional. I remember tearing up as I played it. I was playing a part in the very same music I grew up hearing, the same numbers I had practiced dancing along with for hours. It brought back memories of learning how to do my own makeup, wearing colorful costumes, waiting backstage with my friends and playing my Nintendo DS, the cast potlucks after closing night, the feeling of winter break being just around the corner. I loved every minute of that rehearsal cycle. That is definitely a piece I could play forever, and I eagerly look forward to the next time I can play in the pit of a performance of The Nutcracker.

Favorite Memories

So, I already talked a lot about The Nutcracker, which is definitely my favorite memory, so I’ll talk about a different one. Another life-altering concert was The Planets concert. Genuinely that was the most thrilling concert cycle I’ve ever done yet in my career. I remember first hearing the news that we were going to play it and freaking out. I listened to the entire suite on the way home that day. Also, since I was a fellow, I practiced the piece in both orchestras, plus my own practice time. It was the most collective time I’ve spent practicing one piece, which made me feel a new level of confidence and mastery in my music that was really satisfying. Plus I was sitting assistant principal for that cycle. Performing that piece was such a huge achievement for me as a musician. In both LGSO and at UWW, I felt such a powerful buzz of energy between the orchestra members during that cycle. Everyone had a collective drive to do so well with the piece because it is such an iconic and meaningful work of music. And that performance… I’ve never played with that many people onstage before. The sound we created for that concert was so powerful. It was an enveloping sound. I would love to return to The Planets someday but I don’t know if it’ll ever reach that original feeling of achievement I felt when I learned it for the first time. I’ll always treasure that experience!

Favorite Pieces

The Nutcracker, The Planets, Price Symphony no. 3, Fratres by Arvo Pärt, Egmont Overture, Polovtsian Dances

Looking to the future:

I think it’s cool to see the different generations that have stuck with LGSO through the years. We still have a lot of players who have been here since the beginning of LGSO, but now we have younger generations of fellows, and I love to see my friends who used to be fellows become official members of LGSO after they graduate. I think we’ll continue to see a range of generations and histories with LGSO, and we will all continue to be connected whether we are newbies or LGSO veterans.

People should know:

I want to shout out the fellowship program at LGSO. It is such a wonderful opportunity for collegiate level musicians to experience the rehearsal process of a professional setting, and to receive compensation for their playing. To me, it was a different and refreshing setting from normal university orchestra, because we have less rehearsals in a cycle, we are receiving a scholarship, and being a fellow is a more exclusive role that requires an invitation and audition. Therefore, the fellows are pushed to a higher level of performance quality. Also, everyone at LGSO is there because they love to perform orchestral music with others. This allows for a setting where everyone wants to succeed from internal motivation rather than a grade or credits in a course. It is a really great opportunity for collegiate level players to go above and beyond in their playing, and I’m so grateful that I have been able to participate.