Meet the Music Makers
The UMass Lowell String Project is composed of five ensembles and one creative music class.
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Prélude Ensemble
Prélude is our introductory ensemble, in which students learn to hold instruments and bows, play scales songs in an ensemble setting, and the fundamentals of music. This ensemble receives additional support from UMass Lowell Music Education students who are also learning how to play string instruments for the first time.
Overture Ensemble
Overture is the second-level ensemble, in which students continue to develop fundamental performance skills and knowledge of music, and exclusively perform music in sections by instrument.
Creative Sound Play
Creative Sound Play is a creative music class for students in the Overture Orchestra. In this class, students learn how to compose original music, creatively utilize resources, and build their own musical experiences alone and in group settings.
Accelerando Ensemble
The Accelerando Ensemble serves two unique kinds of students: (1) students who begin playing string instruments in middle school, and (2) students who require additional foundational support prior to auditioning into the String Sinfonia. In this ensemble, foundational studies are at the core of the mission, and students perform a wide variety of educational repertoire.
String Sinfonia
The String Sinfonia is one of the premiere ensembles of The String Project, in which students perform at least "grade three" string literature, continue to develop fundamentals of string playing, and begin to learn about musical aesthetics and theory. In this ensemble, students receive additional support from student mentors in the Lowell Youth Orchestra.
Lowell Youth Orchestra
The LYO is the premiere orchestra of the UMass Lowell String Project. This ensemble is composed almost exclusively of high school students, presents performances in the community (recent engagements in Lowell, MA include The Nesmith House, UTEC, and the Tsongas Arena in support of Meryl Streep's visit to UMass Lowell), works with guest artists, commissions original compositions and arrangements, and performs full-length masterworks from the last 400 years.