“Conducting at Hillsdale felt like being handed the keys to a luxury vehicle,” professor and interim conductor Mark Douglass said. 

The Hillsdale College Orchestra performed its inaugural concert of the 2023-2024 season Oct. 28 in Christ Chapel. 

Douglass conducted the orchestra for the world premier of his own composition, “Fanfare for Orchestra,” at the beginning of the concert. 

The orchestra also performed Gabriel Pierné’s “Concertstük for Harp and Orchestra,” Alexander Glazunov’s “Concerto in E-flat Major for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra,” and Antonin Dvořák’s “Symphony No. 9 in E Minor ‘From the New World.’”

“The opening piece was Dr. Douglass’ own fanfare,” senior bassoon player Joseph Sturdy said. “It’s a piece that he wrote, which is a very vulnerable place to put yourself in as a conductor and as a composer. It’s an excellent piece, and I’m really glad that we got to play it.”

The fanfare included inspiration from Douglass’ family life.

“He arranged the pieces to represent his sons when they were born,” sophomore Alba Padrón said.

Douglass said he enjoyed watching his piece come to life during its world premiere. 

“The premiere was a thrilling because the orchestra was exceptionally accommodating, which isn’t always the case with new music and orchestras,” Douglass said. “They played with genuine enthusiasm, and I am sincerely grateful for their commitment to performing this new piece.” 

Douglass agreed that it was a vulnerable act. 

“It was also a bit scary because the composition was deeply personal and transparent,” Douglass said. “Fortunately, it seemed to resonate well with the audience, especially given the context of parents’ weekend.”

Senior Annie Brooks said the piece balanced a contemporary musical style with a high standard of execution.

“The fanfare was beautiful and interesting,” Brooks said. “You could follow what Douglass was trying to do with the piece with the notes in the program, which was fun.”

Typically, Professor of Music, Choirs, and Orchestra James Holleman conducts orchestra concerts, but Douglass is acting as interim conductor for the semester while Holleman is on sabbatical.

“My favorite aspect of the concert was the unwavering confidence exhibited by the ensemble,” Douglass said. “The musicians were exceptionally well-prepared, understanding their roles and executing them with confidence. The collective hard work paid off, and I could feel their assurance emanating from the orchestra. It was a delightful experience to work with the dedicated, talented, and adaptable students, and I cannot overstate how gracious everyone was throughout the entire journey.”

Sturdy said working with Douglass was a valuable experience.

“It was really awesome to get to work with Dr. Douglass,” Sturdy said. “He is an amazing talent and we are extremely lucky to have him. His conducting technique is phenomenal and the care he shows for all of the students is unmatched.”

Brooks described Douglass’ conducting style as precise.

“It’s fun to watch Dr. Douglass conduct,” Brooks said. “All conductors have their quirks, and you can tell that he’s a percussionist by the way he conducts.”

The concert featured two concerto competition winners, junior Magdalena Shaltanis on harp, and senior Lydia Magyar on saxophone.

The concerto competition happens every spring, and the winners have the opportunity to play their concertos in the coming concert.

“It was interesting that I could actually hear the harp,” Brooks said. “The timbre of the instruments that it was usually paired with while playing in the concerto allowed the harp to be audible and blend into the orchestra.”

The saxophone concerto combined a traditional jazz instrument with a classical context, Brooks said.

“The saxophone concerto was incredible,” Padrón said. “Lydia was fantastic, and blew the concerto out of the water.”