"The Soul of the Orchestra": Newton's New Philharmonia
The New Philharmonia By their very nature, community orchestras are welcoming places where musicians of all levels can come together to play a wide range of repertoire. But the New Philharmonia has maintained a tradition of presenting concerts that consistently meet professional standards. Celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary this season, the Newton-based orchestra balances high caliber performances with community engagement by continuing to build upon its founding principle—it is, first and foremost, a musicians’ ensemble. “It was the musicians who started the orchestra, and it is the musicians who are actually the soul, the core, of the orchestra,” said conductor Francisco Noya in a recent phone conversation from Argentina. “It’s a very special thing.” Those musicians—many of whom hold degrees in music from prestigious institutions—strive to make every performance gleam with polish and precision. Such a vision stemmed from the orchestra’s first director, Ronald K...