RIT Philharmonic Orchestra
RIT Philharmonic Orchestra
The study of music has long been an important component of what is considered a solid foundation for the educated individual. In this tradition, the RIT Orchestra’s mission is to develop the skills and knowledge of our musicians, and thus enhance the life of our community and the communities into which RIT graduates enter.
Participants in the RIT Orchestra come from all parts of the RIT and greater Rochester community and include students, faculty, and staff from each college at RIT.
During the academic year, members of the RIT Orchestra study the various theoretical, historical, and technical facets of the musical arts through rehearsing and performing repertoire from ca. 1600 to the present day, resulting in performances and presentations to the RIT community and general public. Membership is open to anyone from RIT and the Rochester area.
Performances
Performing Arts events at RIT have been canceled or postponed while campus is closed due to COVID-19. To give you an idea of the types of events that RIT generally hosts, please visit our Events page for a small sample of previously-scheduled performances.
Quick Facts
- 50-75 members: RIT students, faculty, staff, and Rochester community musicians, by audition
- RIT Orchestra students frequently among RIT Outstanding Undergraduate Scholars
- Nearly every RIT college represented
- Perform four to eight concerts per year, on campus and at a number of beautiful venues in the Rochester area
- Standard orchestral repertoire from ca. 1600 to the present, including world première and modern première performances
- Performances with some of the Rochester area's finest soloists, and other area ensembles
- Began in 1981
Auditions and Rehearsals
Membership is open to anyone from RIT and the Rochester area.
The RIT Orchestra uses rotating seating placements and principal players for the different concert programs during the academic year, allowing our musicians to play different parts and to experience a variety of seating arrangements in the orchestra. Auditions for the RIT Orchestra serves the purpose for you and the RIT Orchestra Director to connect in person and to ensure that you will have the appropriate seating placement in the ensemble.
Students interested in auditioning for the RIT Orchestra for Fall 2019 semester should contact ysmgsl@rit.edu with any questions. All students (both new and returning Orchestra members) must audition for placement and prior to auditioning, must complete the Fall 2019 Orchestra Audition Survey online (links below). Please review information and audition requirements prior to reaching out with questions.
There will be an initial informational meeting regarding ensemble enrollment on Monday, August 26 at 5 p.m. in SAU A130.
RIT Orchestra Fall 2019 Audition Dates and Times
Rehearsal Information
The RIT Orchestra regularly rehearses Mondays and Wednesdays 5:00pm-6:15pm in the SAU Music Room (SAU 130). This is located in the basement of the SAU, down the hall from RitZone, across from the backstage doors of Ingle Auditorium.
First rehearsal of the fall 2019 semester will be Monday, August 26 (tentative-subject to change).
Please note: students may enroll for 1-credit or participate without enrolling for credit. In addition, when enrolling for credit, students are able to have individual lessons as part of this tuition. Please contact the Director for more information.
Director
A passion for symphonic, operatic, choral-orchestral, and contemporary repertoire
Praised as being “extremely musical” and “having the gift to keep the orchestra tight with her hands”, Taiwan native Yunn-Shan Ma is active as a conductor, pianist and educator in both America and Asia. Her range of conducting experience bridges the gap between professional, semi-professional, and student ensembles. Ma moved to the United States in 2011 with a full scholarship and recently earned her doctoral degree in conducting at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of William Weiner and Neil Varon.
With a passion for symphonic, operatic, choral-orchestral and contemporary repertoire, Ma has been selected over the years to participate in competitions and master classes mentored by Helmuth Rilling, Mark Gibson, Donald Hunsberger, Johannes Schlaefli, Robert Page, Joseph Flummerfelt, Maurice Peress, and Donald Portney. She has conducted select performances with Cadaques Orchestra in Spain, North Czech Orchestra in Teplice, Genesee Symphony Orchestra, Greater Rochester Women’s Philharmonic, Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, Taipei Philharmonic Chorus, Taipei Chamber Singers, Eastman-Rochester Chorus, Eastman Chorale, and Eastman’s New Music Ensemble, OSSIA. In July 2013 she was selected as one of five finalists to guest-conduct the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2015 she premiered Britten’s cantata Phaedra for mezzo-soprano solo and orchestra at Eastman Kilbourn Hall in February and guest conducted the Syracuse Vocal Ensemble in March. In summer 2015 she was invited to hold a workshop for the ensemble of Ying-Hua College from Hong Kong on their tour visit at Eastman School of Music. She guest-conducted the Chin-Yun Choir and Taipei Civic Orchestra at the National Concert Hall in Taipei in July 2016 and the Monroe All-County Senior High School Orchestra at Kodak Hall, Eastman School of Music, in March 2018. She has been on the faculty of the Taipei International Choral Festival since 2015.
In addition to being an active conductor, pianist, and singer, Ma has devoted to musical education. She has frequently served as a guest clinician as well as an adjudicator for competitions and festivals. As the 2005 winner of the Taipei Municipal Joint Teacher Search Auditions from more than 250 candidates, she was appointed a full-time music instructor at Taipei Municipal Zhong-Zheng Junior High School and served on the jury committee in 2006. Ma has been invited to give lectures on conducting and music appreciation at Shi-Hsin and Cheng-Chi universities. Besides, she is a co-author for the cross-curriculum teaching manual, “Music and the Ocean”, published by the Taiwan Ministry of Education in 2011.
Ma received her early musical training in piano and violin at the age of five. At the age of eleven, she moved to Vienna with her family and won the audition to study piano and violin at the pre-college of the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien. After returning to Taiwan, she received a bachelor’s degree in piano performance with minors in violin and vocal performances, as well as a master’s degree in conducting from National Taiwan Normal University.
During her doctoral study at the Eastman School of Music, Ma assisted Eastman Opera, served as an assistant conductor of the choral ensembles, and taught a lab for the Basic Conducting course. Before joining the RIT, she was under the faculty of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Nazareth College. She is music director of the Taiwanese Choral Society of Rochester, the conducting fellow of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the founder/artistic director of F-Sharp Chamber Choir in Taipei.
