Tom Walker, Junior Editor
As the doors closed on the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, the packed audience waited in anticipation for the first note of Rachmaninoff’s hour long Symphony No. 2. As the conductor raised his baton, each of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s 83 members moved into position and, as the baton fell, they began to play.
In the thick of the crowd were eight students from Sewanee’s Fine Arts House. House resident Sophie Daniel (C ‘28) said, “[The symphony will] give you goosebumps. They’re fantastic.”
Co-director of the house Audrey Hoffman (C ‘26) said, “I felt so cultured. I loved getting to see people that are so skilled.”
The event was the payoff for months of hard work, but it is only the beginning. The Fine Arts House hopes to show the importance of the arts to everyone on campus. “It’s really important to just show people that they actually do appreciate the arts and they do want to be invested in it even if they don’t want to apply themselves to playing an instrument. I think that is a really good way of uplifting the arts,” said Daniel.
Sewanee Symphony Orchestra (SSO) member and House resident, Lily “Stooks” Stooksbury (C ‘28) found the performance particularly impactful. “I am in the Sewanee Symphony Orchestra so I’m always playing and I never get to see performances. Being able to see another symphony orchestra perform, especially one that is so incredible, was a very special opportunity,” they said.
In the future, the Fine Arts House hopes to take similar trips but open them up to everyone. “I think it would be fun to outreach with more of the musicians on campus. Other people in the orchestra, or even just other musicians on campus, probably would’ve gotten a lot out of being able to see excellence in their field and be a part of [the trip],” said Hoffman.
Stooksbury agreed with Hoffman and shed light on their experience as a member of the SSO. “I think SSO students in particular would have an appreciation for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Of course, students outside of the orchestra would appreciate it too. It’s a great way to expose people to the arts: especially the performing arts. We have the SSO on campus, but getting to go to a big city to see a world renowned group of musicians is really important. I think that experience is important for everyone.”
In their interview with The Sewanee Purple, Stooksbury, Hoffman and Daniel all expressed a desire to hold events taking students to operas, ballets, art galleries and other art performances off campus. Daniel said, “Having school sponsored trips like that would be great, not just for the Fine Arts House, but for everyone on campus that would love to go to that kind of thing. We want to give them that opportunity.”
In an email, Sewanee Symphony Orchestra Conductor and assistant music professor Mario Torres agreed such experiences can be transformational. “What if one evening at a symphony concert could change how you hear and perform music forever? Sewanee Symphony Orchestra students have a unique opportunity to experience world-class performances just a short drive away. Beyond the thrill of a live orchestra, these concerts can spark something deeper: inspiration,” he told the Purple. “For a musician, that kind of spark is everything. It’s what pushes you to grow, to explore, and to refine your craft in ways you never imagined. Don’t miss the chance to be moved, surprised, and motivated. Go see what’s possible.