Wrapping up another exciting season

With the end of classes and finals comes the end of another great year for the UMS Student Committee. We accomplished a lot this year! Some of the highlights? We were present at Festifall, Northfest, Winterfest, and Goodness Day; we hosted a guest speaker who talked to us about gamelan prior to the Çudamani performance; some of our members attended the Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference in New York City in January; we went backstage at Hill Auditorium before the SFJAZZ Collective performance (note the picture to your right); and we hosted an on-site ticket sale for the Brad Mehldau Trio and Lila Downs.

We wrapped up the season with our last meeting of the year, which was held on April 8 in the Burton Memorial Tower Conference Room. Ken Fischer, president of UMS, even stopped by to say hello and thank us for our hard work this season. We have a lot of exciting ideas for next fall, some of which we need to begin planning right away! We'd like to make the UMS student brochure even more student-friendly, and we'd also like to hold a pre-season information session or reception to let students know about upcoming UMS performances from the moment they step onto campus in August. Next season will certainly be an exciting one for the committee, as we'll be taking on more responsibilities than ever before!

If you're interested in becoming a member of the student committee for next season, stay tuned to this blog for more information. Being on the committee is a great way to meet new people, make valuable connections with UMS staff members, and get your foot in the door at one of the nation's top arts presenting organizations.

The performance schedule for next season has already been announced, so be sure to visit the UMS website to check out all the amazing events UMS will be presenting!

Have a great summer!

Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony at Hill Auditorium

The San Francisco Symphony’s performance last week was really a show for everyone. The SFO opened the evening with Sibelius’ final symphony, and concluded with Beethoven’s 3^rd Symphony, otherwise titled “Eroica”. The performance was simply magnificent, as expected from one of the world’s most highly acclaimed orchestras. The contrasting nature of these two pieces was underlined by Associate Conductor James Gaffigan, at his appearance during Arts & Eats. In response to an insightful question, Mr. Gaffigan decided that an apt title for the evening performance be “revolutionary symphonies”. Mr Gaffigan explained how both Sibelius and Beethoven forward thinking composers during their respective times; both individuals were pioneering the traditional style and form of the traditional classical symphony. Although each composer lived during a different age in time, both explore contrasting themes of heroism and despair, and take the listener on a dramatic musical and emotional journey. Under conductor Michael Tilson Thomas’ baton, the symphony made for certain that no audience member was excluded from the musical experience. Tilson made a special effort to break the ice at the concert’s beginning. Unlike the traditional classical concert, Tilson was very candid with the audience, and introduced the orchestra with a brief discourse on the evening repertoire, making sure that no audience member felt out of place. Even associate conductor James Gaffigan emphasized at his Arts & Eats discussion that classical music is for everyone to enjoy, regardless of one’s musical background.

The concert’s audience included people of all types, from seasoned classical enthusiasts to individuals I met who had never before attended a classical concert. I was surprised to see just as many non-students as students at the Arts & Eats event before the concert, although it was wonderful to see so many individuals excited about classical music. The Arts & Eats event was packed with people, anticipating the performance; thanks to good planning, there was plenty of pizza and drinks for everyone. The SFO was showered with applause and needless to say, received a standing ovation. As an encore piece, the SFO performed the Third Entr’acte from Schubert's Rosamunde, and to everyone’s delight, the “Victors” with members of the university’s own marching band.

Yours truly,

Yash
UMS Student Committee member