Orchestral Activities
Conductor: Paul Hostetter, The Ethel Foley Distinguished Chair for Orchestral Activities
Acknowledged as one of the finest ensembles in the Southeast, the Schwob Philharmonic Orchestra presents a rich diversity of orchestral repertoire under the direction of Maestro Paul Hostetter, the Ethel Foley Distinguished Chair in Orchestral Activities. The Philharmonic is comprised of undergraduate and graduate student instrumentalists drawn from 20 countries around the world and it regularly works with guest conductors such as Yoel Levi, David Lockington, Robert Spano, George del Gobbo, and Victor Liva, as well as guest soloists including international pianist Jon Kimura Parker, cellist Wendy Warner, Charlie Vernon (Bass Trombonist of the Chicago Symphony), Alexander Kobrin (Van Cliburn Gold Medalist), Henry Kramer (Avery Fischer Career Grant recipient), the French Horn section of the Metropolitan Opera, Marianne Gythfeldt (clarinet soloist), David Krauss (Principal Trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera), and many others.
The core repertoire of the Philharmonic spans a broad range of eras and styles. With a strong commitment to new music, the orchestra has premiered works by composers including Pulitzer Prize winner Lewis Spratlan, James Ogburn, Nathan Hudson, and John Link. They have presented new works by women composers including Liliya Ugay, Unsuk Chin, Joan Tower, Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Higdon, and Stacy Garrop. This is in addition to core repertory with recent performances of Copland's monumental Symphony No. 3, Strauss' Till Eulenspiegel's lustige streiche, Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra and Miraculous Mandarin, Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe and La valse, Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, Symphonies by Hadyn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich, and choral works including Mozart's Mass in C, Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem, Bach's Magnificat, and Honegger's Le Roi David.
Many students in the Schwob Philharmonic also have active professional careers while in school, performing in orchestras including the symphonies of Columbus, LaGrange, Albany, Augusta, Savannah, Charleston, Charlotte, Alabama, Jacksonville, and Atlanta among others. Its graduates perform in quartets professionally, have full time orchestral positions, and teach in universities worldwide. Its conducting graduates have positions with the Charleston Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, Hilton Head Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and recently Rodderick Cox was awarded the George Solti Prize for emerging conductors.
The mission of this orchestra of gifted artists is to perform exciting programs comprised of the greatest orchestral music for the members of our community, our state, and our country with passion, energy, and commitment.
Commercial recordings of the Schwob Wind Ensemble are available through the school or any major music dealer throughout the world including Barnes & Noble, i-Tunes, and on-line providers.
Recent Recording:
SoniChroma - released 2018 on Innova Records. Featuring the Quey Percussion Duo. ASIN: B07Y99XN91
Youtube:
Schwob Philharmonic performing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with Henry Kramer,
Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnole, and Richard Strauss' Suite from Der Rosenkavalier.
Schwob Philharmonic excerpts from Prokofiev's 5th Symphony
Participation is by audition only. For further information, please contact Paul Hostetter at Hostetter_Paul@columbusstate.edu.
