CUMS I is the university's flagship symphony orchestra. The ensemble is drawn from top student musicians in Cambridge, who audition each year to secure their place. The orchestra performs five concerts a year, encompassing a wide range of repertoire ranging from Baroque oratorios to masterpieces of the 20th century repertoire. CUMS I regularly performs with the CUMS Chorus and the CUMS Festival Chorus. Recent highlights have included Messaien's Turangalîla Symphony, described by critics as "spectacular" and "virtuosic", and Verdi's Requiem, an unforgettable performance given together with the Cambridge University Chorus in King's College Chapel. This year is the inaugural season of our new Great Conductors series and Sir Roger Norrington will be our Principal Guest Conductor. The best student conductors in Cambridge have the chance to audition for the position of assistant conductor with the orchestra. Each year top solo instrumentalists can compete for the chance to play a concerto with the orchestra and there is also an annual composition competition, which offers student composers the chance to have their works performed by the orchestra. The orchestra enjoys regular coaching from professional orchestral players.
Recent performances outside Cambridge include performances opening the City of London Festival in Southwark Cathedral in June 2009, and in August 2009 the orchestra spent a week on tour in Tuscany, Italy. The 2004 season saw CUMS I opening the Cambridge Music Festival with a packed performance of Berlioz' Requiem at Ely Cathedral. In 2006 the orchestra performed Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony in Oxford.
About CUMS I
Highlights this year will include:
- Sir Roger Norrington conducts his first concert as our Principal Guest Conductor. The programme includes Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem and Haydn's Symphony No.49.
- Stephen Cleobury conducts Mahler's Symphony No.8 in Ely Cathedral
- Dimitry Sitkovetsky conducts Bartok, Shostakovich and Pärt
- David Hill, Chief conductor of the BBC Singers, conducts Britten's War Requiem
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