The Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra

21st Season
Neal Hampton, Conductor

SPRING 2025

CATCH A RISING STAR!

Featuring the winners of the Brandeis and Wellesley concerto competitions. 

Program Includes:
Ravel Introduction & Allegro - Emily Richardson, Harp
Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1  -  Max Ansonoff, Horn

Saturday April 26, 2025 7:30pm
Wellesley College Houghton Chapel
Sunday April 27, 2025 3pm
Slosberg Recital Hall 

Both Concerts Free and open to the public. 


The Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra comprises students, faculty, staff and associates of Brandeis University, Wellesley College, Babson College and Olin College in addition to members of the surrounding community. 

Auditions are held at the beginning of each semester. More information here

A BRIEF HISTORY

In the fall of 2003, following a series of successful collaborations, the orchestras of Brandeis University and Wellesley College officially merged under the baton of Neal Hampton, forming the BWO. This union enables all four institutions and the community to share talents and resources, offering unique creative opportunities within the context of a liberal arts education.

The BWO is committed to upholding the high standards of excellence associated with these institutions. It aims to inspire a new generation of musicians and audiences through compelling performances of celebrated orchestral works, and also champions underserved composers such as Amy Beach, Florence Price, Fanny Mendelssohn, Lili Boulanger, William Grant Still, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

Each academic year, the orchestra presents three to four concerts. Past performances have featured symphonies and other works by renowned composers such as Brahms, Copland, Dvořák, Mozart, Haydn, Elgar, Tchaikovsky, and Prokofiev. 

Most recently, the BWO celebrated its 20th anniversary season with  sold-out performances of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in collaboration with choruses from Brandeis University, Wellesley College, and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Notable past perforamce highlights include:

A concert featuring internationally acclaimed jazz pianist Marcus Roberts 

The Brahms' German Requiem 

Orff's Carmina Burana with combined choruses for the Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts

Mahler's Second Symphony in collaboration with Tufts University's orchestra and the combined choirs of Brandeis, Tufts, and MIT

The BWO continues to enrich the musical landscape of all four campuses and the broader community through its dedication to artistic excellence and innovative programming.