WVHS Chamber Orchestra Rehearses with Guest Conductor

Dr. Sandra Dackow was the guest conductor for the Warwick Valley High School Chamber Orchestra rehearsal on Dec. 2. Dr. Dackow is world famous for her orchestral arrangements, conducting, and pedagogy.

Dr. Dackow came to Warwick to work with the students on “Symphony Concertante”, a piece she arranged specifically for the WVHS Chamber Orchestra.  The WVHS Orchestra Concert on Dec. 11 will be the debut of the piece.

The students received tips on making subtle improvements to their bowing technique and on how to play “Symphony Concertante” from Dr. Dackow, who currently serves as Music Director of the Hershey Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania and the William Paterson University Symphony Orchestra in New Jersey.

“It was nice to have someone with college experience come in and give up instruction on how to fine tune the piece we’re practicing, which she actually composed,” said Sydney Stirpe, a senior violinist.

Dr. Dackow asked Warwick senior violinist Andrew Redling, who has played with the William Paterson University Symphony Orchestra, to demonstrate some techniques to use in her piece.

“It’s definitely scary because you don’t know what her expectations of her own song are,” Andrew said. “She taught us how she wanted it to sound.”

After the rehearsal, Dr. Dackow told the students that it was a pleasure to hear them play her piece. She’s going to do her best to attend the WVHS concert on Dec. 11, but is conducting a concert in Newark, N.J., earlier that day.

WVHS orchestra director Elissa Maynard said her students are still beaming and raving about their experience with Dr. Dackow and how amazing she is.

“It’s been a few days since their rehearsal with Dr. Dackow and they are still talking about it – and they are still laughing at her jokes,” Ms. Maynard said. “To me, that speaks volumes about the enormous impact she has on everyone she works with.”