New UT Tyler Chamber Orchestra to Perform April 18

By ABIGAIL SCHOOLCRAFT/Contributor

In a rehearsal hall in the Fine Arts Center, adjunct instructor of violin and chamber music Anna Larson conducts a small group playing stringed instruments.

A harmonious sound fills the room as she leads the new UT Tyler Chamber Orchestra.

Although UT Tyler has had a string ensemble class for a few years, “this is technically the first semester we’ve had enough people to call it an actual chamber orchestra,” Larson said.

Larson began her career in music at the University of Indiana, where she graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in violin performance. She has performed as a professional musician for several years.

“It’s been really fun for me to take charge and develop the class,” Larson said.

The orchestra consists of nine musicians who play violins, violas, cello and string bass instruments.

“Hopefully, we will get a little bit bigger to do a couple pieces that might include some woodwinds and brass instruments, but for now, it’s going to mainly be a string orchestra,” Larson said.

The chamber orchestra is open to anybody on campus and even community members. Rehearsals are held on Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center.

“I began learning piano at age 6 and have been playing ever since,” said Ben Reider, one of the chamber’s violinists. “I’ve been playing violin for almost as long and deeply enjoy it as well.”

Reider joined the string ensemble in 2022, when it was still just a class.

“Since then, I’ve gotten to see it grow from … two, to an ensemble of nine really talented musicians,” he said.

Reider has developed a deep passion for music in the chamber orchestra.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to play with people who really know their instrument and have a passion for making music. I think music has the ability to rejuvenate and uplift, and it’s been wonderful getting that time to be creative and expressive,” he said. 

Reider recommends performing in ensembles and orchestras to any aspiring musician.

“It exposes you to so many musical ideas, techniques, and musical terms — both from your teacher and fellow peers — and is overall a great opportunity for learning about music and learning how to use your talent and combine it with someone else’s to make something more interesting,” he said.

The orchestra is scheduled to perform on April 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Braithwaite Recital Hall.

Larson said all the students in the chamber orchestra are “really enthusiastic” and that she is “excited to see how much of a gap this will fill at UT Tyler.”