Berkshire Symphony
Fri, October 3rd, 2025
7:30 pm
The Williams College Department of Music presents the Berkshire Symphony with director Andrew J. Kim in a concert themed, Hymns for a Brighter Future. This event is free and open to the public. There are no reservations or ticketing.
Featured are two pieces that come from very different musical traditions: Rainbow Body by Christopher Theofanidis, which is a contemporary piece that incorporates medieval hymn, and the Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, which is a quintessential Romantic symphony. What they share in common is beautiful lyricism and culmination in grand, hymn-like music that gives us optimism and hope for a brighter future.
The Berkshire Symphony is a truly unique model for an orchestra. Consisting of Williams College faculty and other professional musicians sitting side-by-side with auditioned students, the ensemble presents high level performances for the College and the Berkshires community at large while fostering immersive learning experience for the students in a professional setting. The faculty and students are able to develop close mentorships through playing next to each other, and rehearsals become a fertile ground for growth in which students learn nuances of ensemble playing and collaborative music-making.
The orchestra presents four concerts a year, each through four rehearsals on preceding Tuesdays and Thursdays. It aims to share a diverse set of repertoire that represents wide-ranging cultural backgrounds as well as time periods, including music written by living composers. The orchestra also serves as a liaison between the College and its broader community as an important performing arts organization in the Berkshires, helping to connect everyone through music.