Inside Duke Medicine
Duke Medicine Orchestra makes debut, soon accepting new members
posted December 13th, 2010The debut concert of Duke Medicine Orchestra took center stage at Baldwin Auditorium on Duke’s East Campus on Sunday evening, Dec. 5, 2010.
An audience of 200 enjoyed seasonal favorites like Tchaikovsky’s "Nutcracker Suite" in addition to a newly composed work by Steven Bryant entitled "Dusk." Bryant is an active composer living in Durham whose work has been performed by ensembles worldwide. Works by Beethoven and Dvorak were included in the concert program as well.
Conductor Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant, DMA, is also the director of the Duke University Wind Symphony, visiting assistant professor of the practice of music at Duke University and is the executive director of WYWOP (World Youth Wind Orchestra Project).
The orchestra is unique because it comprises Duke medical students, faculty, clinicians and health care employees. The orchestra provides musicians affiliated with the Duke medical community the opportunity to play substantial pieces from the orchestral repertoire, nurtures individual musical talent, and provides a means for healthcare students and professionals to handle the stress and fatigue associated with their work.
“We have already developed a true sense of community within the orchestra itself," says Barbara Kamholz, M.D., who was a member of the Life Sciences Orchestra at the University of Michigan.
After relocating to Durham, Kamholz wanted to create the same special connection between music and medicine with her peers. She approached Olivia Woodford, director of Health Arts Network at Duke (HAND), and Maureen Cullins, director of the Multicultural Resource Center at Duke School of Medicine, which resulted in the founding of Duke Medicine Orchestra. The orchestra’s first rehearsal on Sept. 26 began with a sound measure of expressed commitment, talent, and mutual enthusiasm. Most members have over 10 years prior orchestral experience.
The 45-member strong orchestra is still growing. In January, the orchestra will be accepting new members who play the violin, viola, cello, bassoon, French horn, trombone or tuba. Duke School of Medicine students, medical faculty and health care clinicians who have had musical training are encouraged to apply.
Duke Medicine Orchestra is sponsored by Health Arts Network at Duke and the Multicultural Resource Center at Duke School of Medicine and operates as a HAND program. The spring performance will be on April 29, 2011, at Baldwin Auditorium.