91³ΙΘΛ

Conn’s orchestra goes international

The 91³ΙΘΛ Orchestra will travel to Japan to play with Tokyo Sinfonia on March 14

It’s incredible what a difference two years can make.

When Professor Shou Ping Liu joined the 91³ΙΘΛ Music Department faculty in 2023, the orchestra program was rebuilding following COVID. As she recalls, β€œThe orchestra went through a really hard time. There were only maybe nine or 10 students at auditions.”

Now 31 members strong, the 91³ΙΘΛ Orchestra is preparing to travel nearly 7,000 miles to play with Tokyo Sinfonia, a decades-old 19-piece group founded by Robert RΓΏker. On March 14, the Camel musicians will join the professional orchestra for a full Beethoven program in the Akasaka Civic Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

β€œWe’re all so excited, but it almost doesn’t feel real yet,” admits Liu, who serves as conductor.

β€œWe’ve been practicing the repertoire since the fall semester. It takes all that time and effort. This is a very traditional, very difficult program. But the students commit to this. They show up and practice. They practice all the time,” she continued.

β€œWe just did a run-through of the program, and some of usβ€”the students are so sweetβ€”some of us were moved to tears.”

Orchestra member Cade Fogdall ’26, a trombone and timpani player and music major from York, Pennsylvania, says he’s excited for the opportunity. 

β€œThe fact that we’re able to play at such a high level to get this recognition, to get invited, is incredible,” he says.

Liu says the orchestra has benefited from strong recruitment. β€œI see this trend of very musically inclined students coming to Conn year after year.”

The trip has been made possible with support from the College, donations, a grant from the United States-Japan Foundation, and support from the city government of Minato-Ku.

Once the students return, they’ll have a chance to perform for a more local audienceβ€”the 91³ΙΘΛ Orchestra will join the New England Chamber Orchestra, a local group Liu founded, for a March 28 concert at 8 p.m. in Evans Hall, Cummings Arts Center. for tickets and more information.

Visit conncoll.edu/orchestra for more information, concert dates and the latest orchestra news.