String Workshop

One of the cornerstones of the Symphony's educational program is the Loudoun String Workshop. The String Workshop is a multi-generational student ensemble. Musicians of all ages and ability levels are joined by more experienced members of the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra, who provide assistance and advice. The workshop meets weekly at the same location and just prior to the Symphony Orchestra rehearsals, allowing the students to participate in a "real" orchestra and to observe the more advanced groups that rehearse after. Not only do they benefit from their own hands-on experience with their instruments, but they are also exposed to the workings of a symphony orchestra from the inside.

Many students who participate in the Loudoun String Workshop study their instruments privately. They may take weekly lessons and participate in occasional recitals. But the workshop offers them something that they cannot get one-on-one or in a small group -- ensemble experience. Music is a group activity and a very cooperative venture. The string workshop frequently has as many as 35 members on stage, each playing his or her own part while listening to others and watching the conductor for information about not only when to play, but also how. The ensemble experience teaches that, by working together, the whole quickly exceeds the sum of its parts to create a gratifying, exhilarating experience for the musicians.

The Loudoun String Workshop can be heard in performance as part of the pre-concert program that the Symphony presents for our Saturday evening concerts. The pre-concert program typically begins one hour before the scheduled concert, and includes a lecture presented by our Music Director, followed by the String Workshop concert performance. String Workshop performances are free to all concert ticket holders.