New Orchestra Brings Musical Revival to Charlotte and Washington Counties

In an exciting development for the music community, Angela Hughes and Gwyneth Wilber are spearheading the formation of a new international orchestra in Charlotte County (New Brunswick) and Washington County (Maine). The duo joined forces to create the St. Croix Chamber Orchestra, which aims to fill the void left by the disbanded Passamaquoddy Bay Symphony Orchestra (PBSO). Their efforts have garnered significant attention and support from local musicians and the community.

Angela Hughes, a recent arrival to the area and a viola player recounted how she met Gwyneth Wilber, a local luthier when she needed her viola bow re-haired. Their shared passion for music led to discussions about the lack of orchestral opportunities after the PBSO disbanded. Encouraged by Hughes' teacher, the duo decided to take the plunge and form a new orchestra.

"We were lucky," said Hughes. "When the orchestra disbanded in Calais, we got a list of all the musicians, and we emailed them for interest. The majority of them said they were interested, and so they became the beginning members of the orchestra."

The St. Croix Chamber Orchestra is branding itself as a chamber orchestra, a smaller ensemble than a full symphony orchestra. It comprises strings, woodwinds, brass, and timpani, with close to 30 musicians already on board. Wilber highlighted the orchestra's international flavour, noting that their conductor, Kwan, hails from Hong Kong, and their concertmaster, Dimitri, originally comes from Russia.

Kwan, who has an illustrious career as a musician and conductor, has been an invaluable addition to the orchestra. He has previously played for the New Brunswick Symphony Orchestra and is currently the concertmaster for the Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra. His wife, Rochelle, is an opera singer, adding further depth to the orchestra's leadership.

Wilber and Hughes have also secured Dimitri, a talented violinist from the Soviet Union who moved to Mexico and later to Alberta, where he worked with the Sistema program. "He's a wonderful musician with a great personality, and we're lucky to have him," said Wilber.

The orchestra aims to play a diverse range of music, including classical, jazz, and show tunes, to make their performances enjoyable for the audience and the musicians. "The idea is to make it enjoyable for both the audience and the musicians because we're mostly amateur musicians," Hughes explained.

The formation of the St. Croix Chamber Orchestra has broader cultural implications for the community. Hughes emphasized the importance of providing a platform for young musicians to join and learn from more experienced players. "We're hoping with Sistema coming into the community, we can be an avenue for young people to join us, play with us, and we can play for them," she said.

Sistema, a program that originated in Venezuela, aims to provide children with musical education and opportunities. It has been successful in many parts of the world, and its arrival in the region is expected to bring additional professional musicians who can contribute to the orchestra.

The orchestra is in the early stages of establishing itself and is searching for help with marketing, social media, and fundraising. They plan to launch a Facebook page and a website soon to facilitate communication and outreach. "We need people to help us with that," said Hughes.

The preliminary budget for the orchestra is estimated to be between $20,000 and $30,000 annually. They are seeking corporate sponsorships and applying for grants to meet their financial needs. Hughes and Wilber are also looking for additional board members with expertise in fundraising and marketing.

As the St. Croix Chamber Orchestra prepares for its inaugural performances, the community's support will be crucial in ensuring its success. "Follow us on Facebook to see when we're going to perform and when we're looking for musicians," Hughes urged. The orchestra is still in need of some violinists, brass players, and a bass player.