With exuberance and joy, the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra shares our belief that live music brings all people together.
July 2021 Newsletter
Happy Summer from the WSO!
It’s summer time, and while the orchestra is not in session, some of us are playing chamber music. WSO musicians Bobby Kipp (oboe, English Horn), Cecil Pereira (violin), Carol Davidson (viola), and Jan Schwaner (cello) are in Vermont for Bennington College’s annual Chamber Music Conference. Due to the pandemic, the beloved conference was not held last summer and the excitement level of these musicians and dozens of other attendees is high!
Here is a short taste of a performance by Bobby, Cecil, Carol and Jan at the 2019 conference. It’s a fun, fabulous quartet for English Horn, violin, viola and cello by Jean Francaix, a French composer who wrote this quirky, inventive piece in 1971. Enjoy!
The WSO Concert at Elm Bank was a sold-out hit!
Max Hobart led the orchestra in a special outdoor Pops concert at Elm Bank (Wellesley home of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society) on a glorious Wednesday evening, June 23rd. The program featured all-American music by Morton Gould, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and more. We also played some fun encores - “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, and “Sweet Caroline”, ending with Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” - of course, featuring our fabulous flutes on piccolo, and our outstanding brass section! One of our audience members filmed a few clips from the concert and we are happy to share them with you!
Save the date!
The WSO will present another concert at Elm Bank on Thursday, September 23, from 5:00-6:00 pm (rain date - Thursday, September 30, 5:00-6:00 pm). Featured will be the WSO String Quartet and the WSO Woodwind Quintet. Bring a picnic and enjoy an evening of chamber music. Tickets are available here.
We are thrilled to announce our 2021-22 Season!
We hope you will join us at all of these fantastic concerts. Ticket information will be coming out soon. You can find out more about our guest conductors on our website.
Meet a WSO Musician!
Interview with Kevin King
How did you get interested in the bassoon?
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I began my musical career as a pianist. As a freshman I played for a history class arts festival, where the band director heard me and asked if I wanted to play in the band. I had always been intrigued by the look and sound of the bassoon and asked to play that, and the rest is history.
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What orchestras, bands, or chamber groups did you play in when you were younger, and where do you play now?
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In high school I played in the Lincoln-Sudbury band, orchestra, and civic orchestra, and also in the NEC Youth Symphony.
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Now I play in the WSO and the North Shore Philharmonic and join other groups when my skills as a bassoonist and contrabassoons are needed.
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What is your favorite thing about playing the bassoon?
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I enjoy the variety that comes with the instrument: making reeds and playing both background and solos. I also like connecting with other bassoonists, who tend to be quirky people. I particularly enjoy the woodwind section of the WSO - nice people who play well together.
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What do you like to do besides playing bassoon?
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I work in the biotech industry in the field of pharmacovigilance, the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects and other medicine- or vaccine-related problems. In other words, I'm the reason why you have to hear about those side effects at the end of commercials!
During the pandemic I was able to keep practicing blowing glass, a recent interest.
Outside of music and my career, I like to ski, especially out West with its fluffy powder. I enjoy hiking and working out. I’m also a firearms enthusiast - I go to the range and take classes up at Sig Sauer Academy in New Hampshire. Recently I took a class where I was able to shoot my 308 rifle to 1000 yards. I enjoy cooking and travel; recent trips have been to Mexico and Iceland.