Berkshire Symphony

The Williams College Department of Music presents the Berkshire Symphony with director Andrew J. Kim in a program titled, Classicism and Beyond. This event is free and open to the public. There are no reservations or ticketing.

Classicism and Beyond is centered around Classical Style of Western Art Music. Entr’acte by Caroline Shaw was inspired by a performance of a Haydn Quartet and takes on the form of a Minuet but from a Neoclassical lens. Mozart’s Haffner Symphony is an exemplar of Classical Style. Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, while continuing the conventional four-movement symphonic form, challenges and looks beyond the old conventions with its cyclical use of themes.

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.

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