Letter to the Editor: Making music

To the Editor:

As students return to campus, they will surely be inundated with flier after flier from the various student performance arts groups around campus. They may, however, be unaware of an excellent opportunity to perform that they probably won't find being advertised on Locust Walk: The Penn Music Department has a number of professionally directed vocal and instrumental groups that perform all manner of serious music.

Participating students will work with musicians from all corners of the University, and will learn about the music that they perform in depth. Each group has a different time commitment, so students can join the ones that best fit their schedules, with few rehearsals that drag late into the night. In addition, interested undergraduates may be able to receive course credit for performing in one of these groups.

Vocal groups include Choral Society, the University Choir, the Chamber Singers and Ancient Voices, an advanced group that performs music from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Instrumental groups include the Orchestra, the Wind Ensemble and the Penn Symphonia. There are also chamber groups and an ensemble that specializes in Baroque music. Those interested in auditioning should contact Michael Ketner at mketner@sas.upenn.edu.

I encourage all interested students at Penn to take advantage of this fabulous opportunity.

John Backes

College '06

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