If you are looking for an exciting musical experience tomorrow night, drive up to New Haven for a free concert at 8:00 p.m. by the Yale Philharmonia Orchestra. This organization, which is the largest performing group at the School of Music, is made up of graduate students who aspire to careers as composers, conductors, performers and teachers. The Philharmonia has played at New York's Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall and Washington's Kennedy Center. Participation in the prestigious Evian Music Festival in France is one of the accolades that this orchestra has received. Conducting duties for this concert will be shared by music director Shinik Hahm and conducting fellows John Concklin and Darrell Ang. The program consists of Weber's Overture to Der Freischutz, Hindemith's Concerto for Orchestra and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in E minor.
Due to an anonymous gift of $100 million in November 2005, Yale's graduate students do not pay tuition; this has led to a marked increase in the number of applications. Obviously, the school can be more selective and admit the "cream of the crop". Will it rank as high as the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music or the Peabody Institute of Music? You are invited to be the judge of that at Friday's concert.