Non-Event

During our Intermission, we launched a "Non-Event" page on our website to share resources with you such as: past concert recordings, videos from our socially distanced in person concerts at the Cameron Art Museum, informational videos from our Conductor, musician bios, and fun facts.

Scroll down to catch up on the. . .
• "Get to know the WSO" interviews with our musicians,
• recordings from our Second Sunday Series at the Cameron Art Museum,
• and "Conductors Notes" (informational videos from our conductor Steven Errante).

VIDEOS

#20 Second Sunday Series Concert @ CAM with WSYO musicians
June 13, 2021 at the Cameron Art Museum

#19 Second Sunday Series Concert @ CAM with WSYO musicians
May 9, 2021 at the Cameron Art Museum

Featuring a Jazz Ensemble from the Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestras. The ensemble is led by Christa Faison, WSO violinist.

WSYO Student Musicians:

Finnian Long
Saybren Long
Danielle Swart
Matthew Miller

Guest Musicians:

Sarah Stoloff cello
Sherome Clay piano
Grant Lucas- drums

Concert Program:

The Entertainer, Scott Joplin arr. by David Burndrett
The Pink Panther, Henry Mancini
It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got that Swing”, Duke Ellington, and Irving Mills arr. by Robert Longfield)
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Josef Zawinul arr. by Bert Ligon

#18 Second Sunday Series Concert @ CAM with WSO musicians
April 11, 2021 at the Cameron Art Museum

String Quartet :

Beverly Andrews, concertmaster
Jane Radack, violin
Dan Sanchez, viola
John Illingworth, cello.

Piano: Brent Trubia
Violin: Dan Sanchez

#17 Second Sunday Series Concert @ CAM with WSYO/JS chamber ensembles
To continue its mission in music education, the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra implemented a Chamber Group program for Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra and Junior Strings students during the 2020/2021 Education Season.

Seven WSYO/JS chamber ensembles performed for a live audience at the Cameron Art Museum on Sunday, March 14, 2021. Each chamber ensemble was led by a WSO musician. Thank you to the following musicians for coaching our Youth Orchestra and Junior Strings students: Brent Trubia, Sarah Hand, Kathy Meyer, Christine Maynard, Shirley Lebo, Christa Faison, Hillary Flowers and Beverly Andrews.

#16 Second Sunday Series Concert @ CAM with WSO musician John Illingworth
John Illingworth, cello
Florence Aquilina, piano

Sonata for Cello and Piano in E minor (1865) -- Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Allegro non troppo
Allegretto quasi Menuetto
Allegro

#15 Conductor's Notes: Beethoven's 250th birthday celebration
A performance by WSO Conductor Steven Errante of Beethoven's Bagatelle in G Minor, Op. 119, No.1

#14 Second Sunday Series @ CAM with Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra
For the December 13, 2020 Second Sunday Series concert, chamber ensembles from the Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra performed Holiday Favorites.

#13 Learn about the instruments in an Orchestra with WSO musicians! - A few of our Wilmington Symphony Orchestra musicians recorded an educational video about their instrument! Click on the button to watch the YouTube videos to learn more about the flute, violin, bassoon, tuba, bass and clarinet.

LEARN ABOUT THE INSTRUMENTS

#12 WSO Conductor's Notes - Steven Errante talks about a lifetime passion for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and especially the composer's St. Matthew Passion

#11 WSO Conductor's Notes - Steven Errante talks about Schubert's Piano Sonata in B-flat

#10 Song For Health - Virtual Mass Trombone Choir
Symphony at Home: Wilmington Symphony Orchestra trombonists, Mark Whitfield and Jim Lane, participated in this virtual mass trombone choir as a thank you to our healthcare workers. Thank you to all of those keeping our communities safe and healthy.

#9 Home Studio Tour - with Wilmington Symphony conductor Dr. Steven Errante

#8 "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" - WSO co-concertmaster, Beverly Andrews, performs “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”

#7 The Firebird: Rondo - Stravinsky
This recording is from Wilmington Symphony Orchestra's May 4, 2019 concert at the Wilson Center CFCC

#6 Amazing Grace - Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra with the Wilmington Boys Choir and Girls' Choir of Wilmington (2018)

#5 Sunday Mourning Train - Mark Sinnis & 825 (with WSO violinist, Shirley Lebo)

#WSOPlays video series: featuring one of our WSO musicians Shirley Lebo!

Mark Sinnis - Vocals/Acoustic Guitar
825 musicians are:
Smokey Chipotle (James Brown) - Electric Guitar
Brian Mazzola - Banjo
Shirley Lebo - Violin
Jack Kornegay (The Stray Dog) - Drums
Guest Musicians:
James Benshoff - Keyboards/Piano
Derek Zelenka - Bass

#4 Light One Candle - Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra and Girls' Choir of Wilmington (2016)

Light One Candle by Peter Yarrow.
Girls' Choir of Wilmington, Sandy Errante, conductor
Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra, Steven Errante, conductor,

#3 Valse Triste - Jean Sibelius

#2 "Thais" Meditation - Massenet
Clara-Jumi Kang, violin

#1 Spiegel im Spiegel (composed in 1978) - Arvo Pärt

Activities

A symphony orchestra is dedicated to creating the most beautiful classical music – but it has some pretty strict rules when it comes to its seating plan. Can you remember where each instrument group is supposed to sit?

Why are orchestras arranged the way they are?

Reading for Classical Music Lovers

Looking for your next book? Check out the list below, or this website with a list of popular books: https://www.goodreads.com/genres/classical-music

Famous Father Girl: A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein
by Jamie Bernstein
For Leonard Bernstein’s centennial year comes this unique biographical memoir from Bernstein’s oldest daughter, Jamie. More than just a story of who he was and what he accomplished, this is a look at what it was like to be with Bernstein the extraordinarily complex man, father and artist, in the most intimate situations.

Debussy: A Painter in Sound
by Stephen Walsh
The other major classical music centennial this year is that of Claude Debussy’s death. There are notable books coming out over the next several months, but start with Walsh’s new critical biography, about which MusicWeb-Internationa l said, “I cannot sing the praises of this outstanding and fascinating biography loud enough.”

Mozart’s Starling
by Lyanda Lynn Haupt
For three years Mozart kept a beloved pet starling, which he purchased after he heard it sang part of his Piano Concerto No. 17. Naturalist Haupt intertwines that tale with a look at starlings themselves — one of the planet’s most commonplace birds — in a book about the connections between nature and humanity.

The Ensemble: A Novel
by Aja Gabel
A string quartet is more than a musical group, it is a family. Gabel’s debut novel is about the intimacy and drama that are a double-edged sword for the fictional, young, Van Ness Quartet, in which four strong personalities rely on the constant balance of conversation and conflict in order to thrive.

That Jealous Demon, My Wretched Heart
by Jonathan Noble
Illness, both physical and mental, has been a staple in the biographies of dozens of the greatest composers. Retired surgeon Noble digs deep into the lives of 70 composers, not only to understand what ailed them, but also to shed light on the connection between often romanticized ill health and creativity, and dispel what Noble told The Guardian is the “vast majority of … sheer nonsense.”

10 Benefits of Listening to Classical Music

1. Decreases blood pressure
Want to keep your heart healthy? According to an Oxford University study, listening to classical music can help reduce one’s blood pressure. In the study, researchers played participants different styles of music, including rap, pop, techno, and classical. Classical music was effective at lowering participant’s blood pressure, while rap, pop, and techno actually raised blood pressure.

2. Boosts memory
Did you know that listening to Mozart can actually help improve your memory? According to a study, people who listened to Mozart’s music showed an increase in brain wave activity that’s linked directly to memory. So, next time you have to memorize a big speech or presentation, put on some Mozart while you practice.

3. Sparks creativity
To get your creative juices flowing, listen to some classical music. While listening to classical music won’t instantly make you creative, it will help put into a more creative mindset. Next time you need to brainstorm, try listening to some Mozart or Bach to get your mind thinking outside the box.

4. Reduces stress levels
If you’re feeling particularly stressed, listen to some classical tunes. A study found that pregnant women who listened to classical music were less likely to feel stressed throughout their pregnancy. Scientists claim that classical music’s tempo is similar to the human heart, which eases both anxiety and depression.

5. Supercharges brainpower
Do you have a big test or project coming up? Boost your brainpower by listening to some classical music. In a study, French researchers found that students who listened to a lecture in which classical music was played in the background scored better on a test compared to other students.

6. Fights depression
When you’re feeling down in the dumps, ditch the donuts and opt for some classical music instead. Several studies have proven that classical music helps relieve depression and melancholy. In fact, a study from Mexico discovered that listening to classical music can help ease symptoms of depression.

7. Better sleep
Do you toss and turn for hours before finally falling asleep? Rather than squeeze in another episode of Games of Thrones or New Girl, listen to classical music. According to a   study   of people with sleep issues, listening to classical music for just 45 minutes prior to bed can help improve sleep quality.

8. Relieves pain
Instead of reaching for another Tylenol, you might want to consider playing a Bach or Beethoven playlist. Multiple studies have shown that listening to classical music can help relieve pain. According to researchers in London, patients listening to classical music used significantly less pain medication.

9. Makes you happy
Want to get out of that bad mood you’re in? Listening to classical music can help increase dopamine secretion, which activates the brain’s reward and pleasure center. In fact, a 2013 study   found that music can help put people in a better mood.

10. Improves productivity
It’s a Monday morning and you can’t seem to get it together. To help boost productivity, listen to some classical music. A series of studies have proven that music makes repetitive tasks more enjoyable. A study   performed by researchers at the University of Maryland found that Baroque classical music in the reading room can help improve radiologists’ efficiency and accuracy.