An orchestra is a group of musicians with a variety of instruments, which usually includes the violin family. ... And philharmonic just means “music-loving” and is often used to differentiate between two orchestras in the same city (e.g. the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra).
You may be surprised that the saxophone is not here. This is the one instrument that is always found in bands and wind ensembles, but only very rarely plays in the orchestra. Although flutes may be made of wood, the orchestral flute is usually made of metal. It also does not have a reed.
The string section is the largest in the orchestra. It is comprised of instruments that derive their musical sound from the vibration of tuned strings. The orchestra contains two large groups of violins, plus groups of the violin's larger, lower-pitched relatives: the viola, the cello, and the double bass.
Percussion instruments
Ruud Merx, a trombonist who has performed with Andre Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra for over 20 years, died last week after suffering a heart attack during a British tour. He was just 47. Merx suffered the heart attack in his sleep at 5 a. m. on 17 December.
Desks and divisi In a typical stage set-up, the first and second violins, violas and cellos are seated by twos, a pair of performers sharing a stand being called a "desk", Each principal (or section leader) is usually on the "outside" of the first desk, that is, closest to the audience.
An orchestra is a large group of musicians which can include even 100 or more members. A band is a small group of musicians which generally includes a lesser number of members than orchestras. Orchestras use four main families of instruments – strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.
In a typical concert hall, the sound bounces off a wall near the stage before it reaches a more distant wall and bounces off it. The reflected sound always reaches our ears after the direct sound arrives.
An orchestra, at least in Western culture, usually has a fairly specific selection of instruments from which the orchestra is comprised ("orchestral instruments"). In contrast, an ensemble can be any collection of instruments, voices, dancers. An orchestra is always an ensemble, but not all ensembles are orchestras.
In many forms of music, the bass drum is used to mark or keep time. The bass drum makes a low, boom sound when the mallet hits the drumhead. In marches, it is used to project tempo (marching bands historically march to the beat of the bass).
To join the Civic Orchestra as a Regular Member an applicant must be 18 years of age or older and have, at minimum, a high school diploma. Most Members are between the ages of 22 and 30 and are either graduate level students or post-graduates with a Bachelor's degree.
The typical orchestra is divided into four groups of instruments: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.
Wind instruments include flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoons. String instruments include harp, violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Percussion instruments include timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, celesta and piano. Brass instruments are made up of French horn, trumpet, trombone and tuba.
'The most obvious role of the Leader is liaising with the conductor in rehearsals to help the Orchestra interpret their ideas and make them sound as they imagine. This mainly affects the string section, but may also influence the rest of the Orchestra.
Views from the Orchestra are largely good, although the depth of the auditorium means seats behind row T are more likely to feel distant. There is also some obstruction to the top of the stage from the Mezzanine overhang, which starts at row J and is more evident further back.
The membership of the three different kinds of orchestras are the same: strings, winds, percussion. On any given night, however, depending on the demands of the music, even a symphony orchestra might appear in a smaller form.