“In many cultures, music is a form of healing,” writes Paloma Capanna in Thursday’s (5/6) Rochester City Newspaper (New York). “The power of healing through music should be all the greater when the orchestra and the chorus are comprised of people with both musical and medical training. On Wednesday, May 12, the University of Rochester Medical Chamber Orchestra and Chorus will draw the Rochester community together in the hopes of raising funds to heal the community of Borgne, Haiti, which suffered the devastating effects of the January earthquake in the island country. The program will include such works as Ralph Vaughan Williams’ ‘Serenade for Music’ and Ludwig von Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral Symphony.’ … This overlap between music, medicine, and non-profits is exactly what Dr. Stephen Laurie wanted to create. ‘I would like the Orchestra to have a life of its own and to stand for something,’ Laurie says. ‘Being in the medical profession is not just about seeing patients.’ The concert is the first in a series designed to raise awareness and money for local medical charities. Laurie, a physician and assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, is also a member of the Rochester Medical Chamber Orchestra; he plays the clarinet.”
Posted May 7, 2010
