The Smithsonian Academy Orchestra

It takes guts to play on period instruments…literally! When the Smithsonian Academy Orchestra visits Penn State on October 11th, they’ll be playing symphonies by Haydn and Beethoven using replica eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century instruments, including valveless horns, sheepskin kettledrums, and violins strung with sheep intestines (gut strings)! This concert represents a rare opportunity to hear these thrilling works on the instruments for which they were originally conceived.

The Smithsonian Academy Orchestra brings together top young early music professionals in the exploration of late eighteenth and early nineteenth century repertoire, using period instruments and tuning. Under the direction of Kenneth Slowik, performers delve into classical performance practice and attend lectures by esteemed musicologists, deepening their understanding of the repertoire's historical context.

As a part of its inaugural project, the Academy Orchestra performs works by Haydn and Beethoven. The 33-piece ensemble mirrors the size of the ensemble that premiered Beethoven's Fourth Symphony, providing audience members a similar experience to those who witnessed its first performance in 1807.

The performance will take place on October 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall (FREE ADMISSION!)

PROGRAM
Overture to L’isola disabitata (1779) Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 92 in G Major, “Oxford” (1789) Haydn
Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60 (1806) Ludwig van Beethoven