In Focus: BSU Student Conductors Stand Out at 2nd Annual Oratorio Night

Bemidji State University’s Music Department held their 2nd annual Oratorio Night last Thursday, where graduate students had an opportunity to conduct classical music along with their peers.

It was the chance of a lifetime for the 17 graduate students of BSU’s Music Department, as they got to conduct an orchestra along with professional and community singers in front of an audience.

“Each of those students will be conducting a movement from a baroque work with orchestra and in some cases with chorus,” explained Dr. James Bowyer, a BSU Music Department professor and organizer of the concert. “So we’re doing three major works tonight, four pieces from Handel oratorios. We’re going to end the concert with the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus, big finish. The choral conducting majors will be conducting Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ with orchestra, and the instrumental conducting majors will be conducting Corelli’s – one of his concerto grosso works.”

Instead of facing the musicians as normal, each conductor is facing the audience to give students the spotlight.

“The focus tonight is on the student conductors,” added Dr. Bowyer. “These are graduate students, so they’re actually going to be facing the audience, and the orchestra and the choir will be facing the stage, which is totally backwards from what you normally see, because the focus is on their experience as conductors.”

With that many conductors getting to perform, a whole lot goes into preparing for this event.

“It’s a lot of moving parts,” Dr. Bowyer admitted. “You have to hire an orchestra, we have around 15 members in the orchestra. This is a baroque orchestra. So it’s made up of strings, some woodwinds, the harpsichord and trumpet. The Bemidji Chorale is, of course, is a community choir, it’s been in town here for more than 40 years. But many people are invited to just even come just tonight to just to sing Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria.'”

This isn’t just a local event, either, as many travel from the Twin Cities or even outside the state to be a part of this concert.

“We have people from as far as, from Seattle,” said Dr. Bowyer. “They come stay with their families this week and then they participate. We have a couple of night rehearsals for the choir and then the orchestra comes. They have two long afternoon rehearsals and then literally within the space of one week, we’re doing really incredible music. So I think as word is getting out, people are coming from further and further away to be a part of it.”

The Master of Music Education Program had just 11 students last year for the first Oratorio Night last year, and added six more students for this year’s concert.