Symphony Orchestra plays Mozart’s music through special face coverings

Shuck Recital Hall welcomed an audience to hear samples from Southeast’s Symphony Orchestra on Sept. 20. The event featured woodwind, brass, low brass and percussion instruments.

The Orchestra opened the show with “Ave Verum Corpus,” a piece composed by Wolfgang Mozart in the summer of 1791. Mozart composed the work in D Major while in the middle of writing his play “Die Zauberflöte” six months before his death on Dec. 5, 1791. Six cellos played the piece.

“It was so wonderful to hear the students perform live,” Kevin Hampton, department of music chairperson, said. “You can see the care that we as a department are taking about mask wearing and social distancing.”

Throughout the performance, the orchestra kept six feet apart. Each person wore modified mouth coverings while playing.

“Some students had modified the masks so they could put their instruments right to their mouth; other students had a flap where they put the mouthpiece under the flap, like the flutes,” Hampton said.

Hampton said everything they did at the event was recommended by a study Southeast’s Department of Music has been following from the University of Colorado and the University of Maryland.

The Southeast Symphony Orchestra currently has two upcoming events. On October 12 and 13, The Gala Season Opening Concert, an all-Beethoven program, will feature Liesl Schoenberger Doty, a violin soloist. The event is to celebrate what would have been famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday. On November 24, the Symphony Orchestra, University Choirs and Choral Union will play holiday-inspired music. Both will take place at the Bedell Performance Hall at 7:30 p.m. Face coverings are required during both performances.

For ticket prices or to order tickets to either event, visit rivercampus.org. To stay up to date about future events happening at the Southeast River Campus, visit rivercampus.org or call (573)-651-2265.