Orchestra Next is a training orchestra and the resident orchestra with the Eugene Ballet Company. Since 2012, Orchestra Next has become a fixture in Eugene, having played every performance of Eugene Ballet’s The Nutcracker since 2012 and collaborated with the company on premiere productions such as The Great Gatsby with music by Wynton Marsalis, Grieg’s Peer Gynt, Stravinsky’s The Firebird, and Kenji Bunch’s The Snow Queen.
Orchestra Next has also performed live national anthems for the World Indoor Track & Field Championships medal ceremonies, performed for Cirque Musica, and collaborated with the University of Oregon Opera, Eugene Concert Choir, Soromundi Lesbian Choir of Eugene, and UO Theatre Department.
Orchestra Next has managed to capture the hearts and minds of the region by remixing the orchestral model – providing live music for staged productions and much-needed experience for aspiring professional musicians. Resurrecting the tradition of the mentor-apprentice relationship, Orchestra Next combines Eugene’s creative and vibrant professionals with the region’s most talented protégés. Orchestra Next’s debut recording – Kenji Bunch’s The Snow Queen – was released on Innova Recordings.
Orchestra Next In Action
Putting Students with Mentors
Orchestra Next puts eager and aspiring orchestral musicians alongside some of the leading professionals in the Pacific Northwest to foster the fresh face of orchestral music we’ve all been waiting for.
Finding a Solution
Founded by Brian McWhorter and Sarah Viens, Orchestra Next addresses two concerns: 1. the Eugene Ballet deserves live music for their productions and 2. and there needs to be more professional-level music opportunities to train our students and aspiring professionals.
The Nutcracker
Orchestra Next has performed every live performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker with Eugene Ballet at the Hult Center since 2012.