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Wesleyan Orchestra
The Wesleyan University Orchestra has been an integral part of the University’s Music Department for many years. The completion of the Center for the Arts in 1973 allowed the orchestra to begin a regular annual series of concerts, and the 1980′s saw the rise of a strong orchestral program, first under Roger Solie, and then under Melvin Strauss.
1984 saw the premiere of Henry Brant’s “Meteor Farm,” a commission which featured not only the orchestra, but also many of the Music Department’s celebrated World Music ensembles. The 1988 “John Cage at Wesleyan” festival was a high-water mark for the orchestra; it featured a performance of Cage’s “Atlas Eclipticalis” with nearly a hundred performers, and distinguished guest performers including the Arditti Quartet.
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