“Preparing Students for the Changing Role of Orchestral Musicians in the 21st Century” will be the topic of a conversation led by Daniel Hege and Patrick Jones of the Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music in Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) on Friday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Rose and Jules R. Setnor Auditorium, Crouse College. Free parking is available in the Irving Garage; patrons should mention that they are attending the event.
Professional orchestras are feeling financial pressure. Attendance has dropped, revenues have decreased and traditional donors are scaling back. Some orchestras have closed, and many have shortened seasons or reduced salaries. The music industry is also changing. More people are accessing music digitally and making music on their own. Musical tastes have also changed as more people are exposed to a variety of cultures and their musics. Therefore, careers as professional orchestral musicians will require a broader set of skills. This discussion will be about helping to identify those skills and how best to prepare today’s music students for careers as orchestral musicians.
Hege is the Stevenson Professor of Practice in the Setnor School. Widely recognized as one of America’s finest young conductors, he has earned critical acclaim for his fresh interpretations of the standard repertoire and for his commitment to creative programming. He served for 11 seasons as the music director of the Syracuse Symphony and in June 2009 was appointed music director of the Wichita Symphony, beginning his tenure with that orchestra in September 2010.
Jones is the director of the Setnor School and a professor of music. He has enjoyed an international career as a conductor of military and youth bands and is conductor emeritus of Sinfonisches Blasorchester Eifel-Ardennen. He has presented workshops and scholarly papers internationally on a variety of topics, including music education history, curriculum and policy; is a contributing author to several books; and is a member of the editorial boards of the “International Journal of Community Music” and “Visions of Research in Music Education.” In addition to his academic career, he is a colonel in the Air National Guard and chief of Air National Guard Bands.
Music has thrived at SU since 1877, when SU became one of the first universities in the United States to grant a degree in music that required four years’ study in both music and theory. Today, the Setnor School of Music continues this tradition of innovation by offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs that prepare students for 21st-century music careers. Setnor students pursue degrees in composition, conducting, performance, music education and the music and entertainment industries that include performances and field experiences in Central New York; internships in London, Los Angeles and New York City; and a semester abroad in Strasbourg, France.
