For the Oberlin Orchestra, Winter Term is often an exciting month. In 2007, the orchestra performed to a sold-out crowd in New York City’s Carnegie Hall and in 2005, the musicians toured six cities in China, performing a total of ten concerts in nine days.

Winter Term 2009 will prove to be just as exciting, as the Conservatory’s administration is currently planning a tour of the West Coast. The orchestra, led by Music Director Bridget-Michaele Reischl, will be presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic in its home, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, in addition to performances in San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall and Seattle’s Benaroya Hall.

In the past, “students were selected based on their performance in the orchestral program [in the Conservatory],” said Assistant Dean for Artistic Programming and Operations Gloria Kim. She predicts that the musicians invited to participate in the 2009 tour will be determined in the same way.

And the inspiration for the tour? “We’re always looking to create educational…and professional opportunities for students…. Touring at the undergraduate level is not something you get often,” Kim said.

This is a unique experience for Obies, as touring is essential to a professional performing career. Aside from the pressures of performance, musicians must also learn to cope with other stressors, such as jet lag, delayed flights, unfamiliar locales and, sometimes, foreign languages and customs.

According to Kim, these tours aid the Conservatory’s recruitment to the institution, in addition to strengthening its alumni base. The administration is currently working on finalizing the orchestra’s concert repertoire for the tour.