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Like football, the symphony can be an escape
■ Attempting to attract
younger audiences, the
Eugene Symphony plans an
‘extremely festive’ season
By Josh Ryneal
Oregon Daily Emerald
Going to the symphony is kind of
like playing with one of the Rubik’s
Cube puzzles. At first glance, it
doesn’t necessarily look that inter
esting and doesn’t compel you to in
vestigate further. It’s just a funny
looking square that looks too boring
and too difficult to mess around
with.
But once you sit down and start
to play with it, the more absorbing
and interesting it becomes. Pretty
soon, you start playing with it all the
time and can’t put it down. It be
comes an obsession.
The symphony evokes the same
initial reactions from the average
college student. Say the word “sym
phony” to overworked, stressed-out
college students, and their eyes im
mediately glaze over. Some may
even fall asleep right there on the
spot.
A lot of people have the mistaken
impression that the symphony is
boring, stuffy and too expensive for
cash-strapped students. Why
would you go to the symphony
some night, when you could get
smashed at some bar and wake up
with a hangover and an empty wal
let?
The Eugene Symphony would of
ficially like to change your mind.
With renowned conductor Miguel
Harth-Bedoya at the helm, the sym
phony kicked off its 2000 season a
week ago, and hopes are high that
this year’s powerful and varied per
formances will draw a younger
crowd to the Hult Center.
Patricia Cusick, marketing direc
tor for the Eugene Symphony, said
that the average age of a symphony
concertgoer is about 55, but younger
audiences will definitely be able to
come away with a valuable experi
ence.
“We would love to see a younger
crowd,” she said. “We are trying a
fresh approach, with a young con
ductor and a lot of young talent. ”
Cusick added that the symphony
will play classical pieces but mix
them with contemporary works by
modern composers.
Harth-Bedoya, who also con
ducts orchestras in Fort Worth and
New Zealand, likens the symphonic
experience to going to a Ducks
game.
“When I came here, I didn’t know
that much about football,” he said.
“I wasn’t told what to look for, but I
could still participate and follow
what was going on. The symphony
is exactly the same way.
“Like at a football game, the sym
phony is like an escape; it lets your
mind go someplace else. ”
The average person doesn’t need
to know a lot about music to enjoy
the symphony, Harth-Bedoya said.
“Like with anything else, the
more you know about it, the more
you can get out of it,” he said. “But
anyone can come to the symphony
and have a great time.”
Harth-Bedoya called this year’s
season “extremely light-hearted
and festive” and debunked the
myth that orchestras only play
straight-laced classical music.
“We play salsa, we play movie
music, we play romantic music. All
the music we play deals with emo
tion and feeling,” he said. “The or
chestra can play versatile music.”
Courtesy of the Eugene Symphony
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, who was conducting as early as 18 years old, brings youth and flair to the Eugene Symphony this season.
Aside from the variety, what will
make an immediate impression on
newcomers is the incredible preci
sion necessary to synchronize 75
distinct musicians in harmony. The
result is a wall of sound that is im
pressive, and all the more so be
cause there is no electric amplifica
tion. The symphony relies only on
the talent of its musicians, its con
ductor and the acoustics of the ven
ue to produce that “world’s best
stereo” sound.
The Hult Center is a great place to
see the symphony. Every seat in the
house is a good one, and the sound
leaps off the stage and into the ears
with breathtaking clarity.
The symphony also boasts a
number of University students and
faculty in its ranks. Jeff Williams, a
music professor and a trombone
player entering his 21st year with
the symphony, urged everyone to
give it a try.
“While you’re in college, you
should try to broaden your hori
zons,” he said. “I think the sym
phony is an intellectually and
spiritually broadening experi
ence.”
Williams also noted that orches
tras are aware that their core audi
ences are aging and need to appeal
to younger fans.
“Miguel is a young and innova
tive conductor, and I think he’s con
scious of what young people would
enjoy,” he said.
Enjoying the symphony isn’t ex
pensive. Tickets for individual per
formances, which can be pur
chased at the Hult Center or at the
EMU ticket office, are $10 for stu
dents.
The Eugene Symphony performs
concerts one Thursday each month,
along with other special orchestral
events and free concert previews.
For a schedule or ticket informa
tion, call 682-5000.