Students from all of the various Arts Concentration disciplines — music, theater, dance, and visual arts — congregated last Thursday, April 14, to visit the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in an the opportunity to learn and improve their own work.
The students began their day by attending an open rehearsal of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which performed Gustav Mahler’s Ninth Symphony. In the afternoon, the students visited the Boston Museum of Fine Arts with the freedom to explore it in small groups. Kay Ingulli ’18, a visual arts student, felt that the experience brought her understanding of art to life. She said, “It was amazing because I was seeing so many things that I’d been learning about in my art history class. It was shocking to see everything up close and in person, and I think it made me appreciate the art even more.”
Ms. Kelly Caldwell, who works in the box office, commented, “It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to see professionals and the process of working on something to completion. Usually, when you go to a concert, you’re just overwhelmed by how fantastic it was and you don’t really think about all the preparation it must have taken. This was a great chance for our student artists to experience that connection.”
Katharine Li ’17 reflected, “It was inspiring to watch the Boston Symphony Orchestra and see the level of professionalism and musicianship in the ensemble. It’s something that I think Choate students should strive for as well.” She further added, “I really enjoyed the ‘Megacities of Asia’ exhibit. It addressed issues such as consumerism, commercialism, pollution, and overpopulation, as well as how these modern ideas influence artistic expression. I learned about incorporating social activism into artwork. I’d like to try it in the future.”
On a different note, Ingulli also remarked, “I loved the fact that the trip was interdisciplinary. The way the Arts Con program is set up, everyone is always so focused within their own department, so going with everyone was a nice change and a great way to get to know new people.”
As Dani Zanuttini-Frank ’18, a music Arts Con student, said, “I’m not a visual arts student or a part of Choate’s Symphony Orchestra, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the trip and thought that it was a valuable learning experience.”
