participatory music-making

"Central to the collaborative personality of Orpheus is its unusual process of sharing and rotating leadership roles. For each and every work, an elected committee of musicians determines the concertmaster and principal players of each section. These players in turn constitute the "core group," whose role is to develop an overall concept of the music (e.g., tempi, phrasing, articulation, dynamics.) The "core" then presents their interpretations to the whole of the orchestra for consideration and rehearsal. In the final rehearsals all members of the orchestra participate in refining the interpretation and execution. Members take turns listening from the auditorium for balance, blend, articulation, dynamic range and clarity of expression. In recording sessions the orchestra crowds the production booth, listening to the playbacks."