MIT Orchestra Memories

Carmina Burana by Carl Orff - I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve played it - and what a pleasure each time. This

spring, once more playing this rhythmic marvel with the Smith College Orchestra in Northampton, MA in John M Greene

Hall, the first violin part almost plays itself. I think back to the time our MIT orchestra played in this very hall at Smith in

1963 (50 years ago!) and all the wonderful musical events that preceded and followed that event.

Music played such an important part of my life at MIT, including all the good musical friends, my own string quartet

(christened the Grand Canonical Ensemble by our excellent violinist and Physics guru, Harvey Picker), the MIT Symphony

concerts and the thrill of playing solos with this excellent group of musicians. This experience formed the basis of my

future life’s combination of science and music. The following is a partial pictorial reminiscence of those times that meant

so much to me.

Grand Canonical Quartet – Janet Stober, Harvey Picker, Bob Goldstein, and (hidden) Ken Dzugan

After joining the MIT Symphony as a freshman, playing both the violin and the viola for a year, I became Principal 1st

violinist the following year. I clearly remember playing in the orchestra when Harvey Picker, played the Mendelssohn

violin concerto, as seen below.

This gave me the confidence to discuss with our excellent conductor, John Corley, the possibility of also playing a solo

with the orchestra.

The following year I auditioned to play the Symphonie espagnole by Lalo. I had spent the preceding summer memorizing

four movements of this piece, an amazing thing to me now that I have trouble remembering where I put my car keys!

John Corley approved and this piece was scheduled for performance on March 10, 1963 in Kresge Auditorium.

It was a fantastic experience to rehearse and play with the orchestra and the concerto was such a success that the

orchestra and I were asked to repeat it twice during the Spring Festival of Music at MIT on May 4th and 11th, 1963.

The spring of 1963 was an extremely busy time for the orchestra. We collaborated with the Boston Dance Theater Ballet

Program in April with a program consisting of three ballet pieces, The Seasons by Alexander Glazounov, Roots of Sand by

Gerald Siddons and The Incredible Flutist by Walter Piston. Below is the program description of the orchestra and its

membership.

We played in the pit in front of the stage and here’s our principal cellist and quartet member Ken Dzugan(’64) enjoying a

moment of rest from all the rehearsing.

My roommate in Bexley Hall during 1962-63 was Vicky Avakian(’63), who was also in the orchestra as one of our French

horn players.

During the summer of 1963 I decided to learn Beethoven’s violin concerto and John Corley again encouraged me in this

endeavor. My performance was scheduled for our December 7th concert and the announcement of this event appeared

in the Boston Globe. Below are also the program notes for that concert:

A review of the concert appeared in The Tech on December 11, 1963.

Somehow midst all this musical activity, I managed to complete my studies in physics at MIT and went on to earn my

PhD from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Our family settled in Amherst, Ma where I started teaching physics,

mostly as a part-time faculty member, at Smith College and used my interest in acoustics and music to develop a lab-

oriented course in musical sound. There was always time for my music; I continued playing in local orchestras and

chamber groups. I have lived in Amherst, MA now for over forty years and during that time have played in the Pioneer

Valley Symphony and occasionally with the Smith College Orchestra and many other local choral groups. I have also

soloed with several local orchestras and I now have a string quartet that performs locally. Retiring in 2006 meant that

my time is mainly occupied by music (and grandkids) – things I truly love.

I am so grateful that MIT gave me these wonderful performance opportunities. It enriched my life then and set the stage

for wonderful retirement activities.

Janet (Stober) Van Blerkom