ORCHESTRAS

Through its committed and polished performances led by Director of Orchestral Activities David Neely, UMSO is dedicated to the power of musical communication. In its repertoire, the orchestra explores the intersection between traditional symphonic masterworks and marginalized works from various eras, with many programs featuring composers of diverse backgrounds deserving of overdue recognition.

Led by Michael Votta, Jr., UMWO is a leading voice among collegiate ensembles in premiering new works for winds. Often featuring faculty soloists and world-premieres of new works and masterworks of the 20th and 21st centuries, UMWO has performed in side-by-side collaborations with major professional ensembles and has performed by invitation at international, national and regional conferences.

Conducted by graduate students of the conducting studio, the University Orchestra is the all-campus orchestra here at UMD. It is comprised of students in non-music degree programs as diverse as engineering, math, journalism, English, computer science, physics and more, music minors, music majors in piano or composition, faculty and staff in non-music areas and affiliated community members.

University Orchestra rehearsals take place in the School of Music wing of The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Room 1230, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00-5:00 p.m. University Orchestra performs two concerts per semester in the Dekelboum Concert Hall, the 760-seat venue in The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

If you have played in high school orchestra, a local youth orchestra or have taken private lessons on your instrument for several years, you are a perfect fit for University Orchestra! If you are just learning your instrument, the University Orchestra repertoire will likely be too challenging. The repertoire often focuses on the integration of symphonic masterworks with repertoire by women, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ composers. 

If you are interested in joining the University Orchestra, please email UOrch@umd.edu.