Did you know?

Every work and every period of music requires a different sized orchestra and a varied make up of instruments. The orchestra is a very versatile ensemble.

The single most difficult work the RSO has performed is The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. It is challenging for every member of the orchestra and the conductor.

Guy decided he wanted to become a conductor at 18, just after he had conducted for the first time.

Guy was born in Detroit and grew up in Ann Arbor, MI.

Trumpet is Guy’s main instrument, but he has studied and played all the instruments in the orchestra.

Watching is a key part of playing in an orchestra. Musicians watch the conductor’s hands, gestures, body language, face and eyes. They also watch each other for subtle cues as to how and when to play.

Almost all of the players have a Bachelor's degree. Most of them have a Master's degree, and some have Doctorate's.

For the RSO’s 50th anniversary in 2006 a CD titled “An Evening with the RSO and Rich Ridenour” was produced. It is available in the symphony office.

A symphony can perform without a conductor, but with difficult pieces that have complex changes in tempo and dynamics, this is extremely difficult to do.

While conducting Guy is speaking a visual language to the orchestra. The gestures range from beat patterns to show the meter of the music to dynamics and the character of the music.

Guy picks the music performed at each show and it is approved by the artistic advisory committee.

There is no difference between a symphony orchestra and a philharmonic orchestra; philharmonic simply means “music loving.”

Donating to the RSO has perks including tax benefits, a listing in the program and the joy of supporting the arts in your community.

The most played composers in RSO history are Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.

The most played piece in RSO history is Concertino for Piano & Orchestra in C by Haydn.

The most famous guest artists to perform with the RSO were Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, The Charlie Daniels Band, Bill Cosby, Neil Sedaka, The Beach Boys and Wynnona Judd.

Before Civic Hall, the RSO had been housed at McGuire Hall and Trueblood Fieldhouse (at Earlham).

The RSO spends about $2500 on music each year.

Player and guest artist compensation, mileage and lodging are the most expensive aspects of the symphony at 36.6% of the budget.

The annual operating expense of the RSO is just more than $300,000.

The RSO performs 10 times a year (6 season concerts, 3 children’s concerts and 1 Concert-in-the-Round).

There are 68 players in the symphony.

Sousa is the most performed composer by RSO guest conductors.

The RSO has had 35 guest conductors who have performed 72 pieces.

The RSO has had 3 regular conductors: Manfred Blum, Thomas Elefant, and Guy Victor Bordo.

“First chair” is a term of honor for a musician playing a particular instrument. This person plays solos, and is a leader in that section.

Musicians are paid per performance.

Musicians only rehearse together for a total of 10 hours before classical concerts.

Musicians only rehearse together for a total of 3 hours before pops concerts.

The farthest an orchestra member travels to play for the RSO is 331 miles.

The symphony orchestra can vary a lot with the size, but the actual instrumentation is fairly standard. A symphony orchestra must have strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion.

Movies and cartoons use symphonic music because it sets moods and evokes emotion, and classical works composed decades ago are in the public domain so they are cheaper.

Player seating is arranged by family of instrument with first chairs being closest to the audience.

Most artists appreciate applause at any time during the performance and Guy Bordo says, “If you feel like clapping, clap!” However, it is more typical to wait until the end of an entire work to clap.