Three sets of siblings to perform as Tech’s University Orchestra debuts new work at free Nov. 24 preview concert
Students in Tennessee Tech University’s School of Music have long described the program as having a family-like feel. This year, the University Orchestra is taking that sentiment to a new level: for the first time, three pairs of siblings are performing together in the ensemble.
The fall orchestra includes siblings Lilli and Elizabeth Edwards; Tia and Asher Gannod; and Grace and Avery Richardson. Several of the students are alumni of Tech’s pre-college String Project, and two—Lilli Edwards and Tia Gannod—are dual-enrollment high school students. First-year Tech students Elizabeth Edwards, Asher Gannod and Grace Richardson join them, while Avery Richardson is a graduating senior.
The University Orchestra, under the direction of Professor Dan Allcott, will present a 45-minute preview concert on Monday, Nov. 24, at 4 p.m. in the Wattenbarger Auditorium of the Bryan Fine Arts Building. The performance is free and open to the public.
The program will feature the world premiere of Goldenrod, composed specifically for the ensemble by Tech faculty composer Griffin Candey. The orchestra will also perform works for solo cello and solo viola, featuring Allcott on cello and faculty violist Christopher Williams. The concert will conclude with the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica.
“This is Beethoven’s third of nine symphonies, and the one where he really started moving in a new direction,” Allcott said. “It is a bold work and requires robust playing. This group is up to the challenge.”
The performance will also serve as a launch for the orchestra’s one-day tour of East Tennessee. The 40-member group of performers will depart at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, to present concerts in Kingsport and Johnson City before returning that evening for Thanksgiving break.
Allcott, now in his 23rd year at Tech, describes this year’s orchestra as the strongest he has conducted.
“Not only is this group talented, but they are really engaged in improving,” he said. “The School of Music is thriving under the direction of Dr. Colin Hill, and we have modernized our recruiting—visiting schools, conducting regional high school festivals, etc. We appreciate our friends in the Enrollment & Communication Division who respond to our unique needs.”
The orchestra includes students from a broad cross-section of majors – ranging from biology and civil engineering to math, nursing and psychology, among others.
Open to all students with prior string-playing experience, the ensemble rehearses Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. as part of MUS 1080-001.
For many of the sibling performers, making music together at Tech has been a meaningful extension of their shared passion.
“My experience performing alongside my sister in the University Orchestra has been awesome,” said violinist Lilli Edwards. “It’s fun to have the common experience and discuss the pieces together. Being in orchestra with my sister brings our different musical personalities together.”
Avery Richardson said playing with his sister has shaped the way he listens and collaborates.
“Performing alongside my sibling has helped me with actively listening to other sections of the orchestra,” he said. “Knowing people on a personal level in the orchestra makes you want to understand the music more.”
For more information about the School of Music at Tennessee Tech and its ensembles, including the University Orchestra, visit www.tntech.edu/music.