Last weekend, more than 90 students performed in the symphony orchestra concert and the annual opera workshop for Parents Weekend.

“I felt we never lost our connection with each other; we never lost our focus,” said James Holleman, professor of music, choirs, and orchestra.

The department presented a collection of arias and a mini-opera on Friday and Saturday in its annual Opera Workshop. The Hillsdale Symphony Orchestra also performed Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 6” and “An American in Paris” on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. 

Students from all classes participated in the opera workshop titled “Romance on the Rocks.” 

The workshop presented diverse scene selections from operas by composers including Wolfgang Mozart and Frederick Loewe. 

“We chose to present scenes instead of an entire full-length opera because scenes provide more musical variety and are easier to rehearse in a short amount of rehearsal time,” said voice instructor Kristi Matson. 

The program ended with a production of “Broken Pieces: A Love Story in One Scene,” a modern mini-opera written by Barbara Grecki with music by Daron Hagen. 

“The students were able to develop their characters and voices artistically to reveal the story to the audience,” said Emily Douglass, director of the workshop. “This process was also rewarding as a director. This work was very difficult musically, and the performers rose to the challenge brilliantly.” 

Hagen worked with Brianna Lambrecht and Christopher Marco in a Zoom session to help them prepare the work. 

“My favorite part about producing the opera workshop is being able to share my love, appreciation, and skills that I have learned in my professional career as an opera singer with the students,” Douglass said. “There is a look of wonder in their eyes when they realize, for the first time, their potential to sing opera.”

Both Friday and Saturday’s performances were well attended by both students and parents. 

“I’ve never seen anything quite like that, where it is a tiny opera,” said Mary Kay Pynes, whose son, Kevin Pynes, performed in the workshop. “It’s just such a neat opportunity, and it’s not that big of a school to have these opportunities for music.” 

The department finished the weekend with two orchestra performances, presenting Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 6, ‘Pathetique,’” and Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” to a combined audience of nearly 1,500. 

“It was a great way to start the year, and it was great energy for us,” Holleman said. “I think a real positive spirit is coming out of this concert from the orchestra. It was positive going in, but it was confirmed with the performance.” 

“Symphony No. 6, ‘Pathetique,’”  has been a goal for several of the members of the orchestra, who began asking to perform it last year.

“I had some upcoming seniors last year begging me to do Tchaikovsky six,” Holleman said. “I thought we had enough time to do it, we had the forces to do it, and I thought it was a good piece to start us off for the year. It was exciting, and it was accessible.” 

Holleman selected “An American in Paris” hoping to present a piece that would contrast with the symphony.

“I wanted to provide contrast – more from an educational standpoint to the orchestra, but it is also fun for the audience to have variety like that,” he said.

Holleman said he is excited to begin preparing the orchestra for their final concert of the semester in December and has big plans for the spring.

“I’m considering a very monstrous piece of music,” he said.