The members of the Yale Symphony Orchestra, YSO, have had a lot on their calendars recently.
The YSO brought people to their feet for an evening of dance at the annual Yale College Council Winter Ball on Jan. 31. For the second year in a row, the orchestra performed Strauss waltzes, polkas and pop tunes for the black-tie event, held in University Commons.
The very next day, the YSO traveled to New York City, where the orchestra performed Mozart's Requiem with the Yale Camerata at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Shinik Hahm, the YSO's music director, conducted the orchestra for the free performance, which was underwritten by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.
And still upcoming on the YSO's agenda are three performances at Yale this spring and an overseas tour this summer. The first of the campus performances will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8, when the YSO performs Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" and Rachmaninoff's "Symphony No. 2" at 8 p.m. in Woolsey Hall, corner of College and Grove streets. Maestro Hahm will conduct.
The Feb. 8 program offers a special challenge for the YSO members, as "The Rite of Spring," with its irregular rhythms, is so difficult that few college orchestras even attempt it, according to YSO manager Laurie Ongley. In fact, when the work -- originally a ballet -- was first performed in 1913 in Paris, some audience members were so disturbed by the piece's dissonant quality and rejection of then-hallowed musical principles that they responded with catcalls and boos. Stravinsky's supporters responded with counter-protests, and fist fights broke out, causing so much uproar that the music could no longer be heard. One Parisian critic suggested renaming the work as "The Massacre of Spring."
Tickets for the Feb. 8 performance are $3. They may be purchased in advance at the YSO office, Rm. 304, Hendrie Hall, 165 Elm St., or at the door on the evening of the performance beginning at 7 p.m.
The YSO, which sold out its last two concerts in Woolsey Hall, will conclude its season with performances of Bartok's "Concerto for Orchestra" on March 1 and Walton's "Belshazzar's Feast" on April 19. The latter concert will also feature the Yale Glee Club and members of the Yale Concert Band.
This May, the YSO and Mr. Hahm will travel to Korea, where the orchestra's concerts will be broadcast live on television to millions of viewers. The trip is being underwritten by Seoul Broadcasting System.
The trip will be a homecoming of sorts for Mr. Hahm, who is a native of Korea and one of only two conductors to receive the nation's Cultural Medal of Honor, the highest award given to civilians in appreciation of their contributions to the cultural life of the country. Mr. Hahm, who also holds the post of associate professor of conducting at the School of Music, is now in his second season as music director of the YSO. During his time at Yale, he has worked closely with student conductors and has introduced such innovations as student subscriptions, which offer a discounted rate on season passes. Mr. Hahm, who has been described as one of the leading conductors of his generation and has worked with audiences throughout the world, also continues to serve as music director of the Green Bay Symphony and the Abilene Philharmonia Orchestra.