Orchestra
Symphony & Chamber Orchestras
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Director of Orchestras | fitzpatr@elmbrookschools.org
The orchestra courses offered at BCHS include Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. Each class is an ensemble that meets on alternate days for 84 minutes, with the exception of early release days, when the classes meet for a slightly shortened period. Orchestra is for string students with one or more years of experience playing the violin, viola, cello or bass.
Symphony Orchestra is designed to provide string players with the experience of learning a broad range of music composed specifically for string orchestra and to grow in musicianship. Symphony Orchestra is open to all string students. No audition is required for enrollment; however, participation in middle school orchestra or equivalent experience is a prerequisite (All students need to have at least one or more years of performance experience on the violin, viola, cello or bass to enroll in Symphony Orchestra (Block 1 on alternating days)).
Chamber Orchestra is designed to provide Sophomore, Junior and Senior advanced string players with a thorough background of various styles of music. Acceptance and enrollment into Chamber is by audition only and at the consent of the conductor. Auditions are typically held in January for the following school year. At least one year in Symphony Orchestra is a prerequisite to audition for Chamber, unless otherwise indicated by the conductor in unique situations. Chamber students are required to participate in the annual WSMA Solo & Ensemble Festival and may have other community and school performance opportunities offered to them.
Meet Mr. Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick has worked internationally with music students, schools, and ensembles as a teacher, clinician, and adjudicator. A dedicated teacher, Mr. Fitzpatrick is currently the high school orchestra director in the Elmbrook School District, one of Wisconsin’s premier school districts. He also serves as the Prelude Orchestra director in the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestras. As an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, he has completed core cello training in levels 1-10.
In addition to his teaching, Mr. Fitzpatrick has an active musical career as a soloist and chamber musician. He gives several regular solo recitals and has performed in numerous orchestras, including serving as principal cellist in the Wisconsin Philharmonic, and assistant principal cellist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and Indiana University Symphony Orchestra.
Prior to teaching in Wisconsin, Mr. Fitzpatrick was an Assistant Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he taught cello and Music Education courses preparing students for careers in Music Education. He also taught at the Fairbanks Suzuki School of Talent Education, the Anchorage Suzuki Institute, the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, the Alaska Cello Intensive, and founded the Fairbanks Cello Festival. He has served as President of the Alaska chapter of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) and was a conductor for Fairbanks Youth Symphony Orchestra. He has been an active member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), served on the board for the Alaska Music Educators Association (AMEA), and been a regular presenter at various state Music Education conferences. Additionally, Mr. Fitzpatrick was the principal cellist of the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Alaska Trio, which performed with competing pianists at the 2017 Yamaha International E-Piano Competition.
Mr. Fitzpatrick earned his degrees from Indiana University Bloomington and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His primary cello teachers have included Dr. Carol Semmes, Dr. Emilio Colón, and Daniel McDonough of the Jupiter String Quartet, with additional long-term studies with Dr. Helga Winold, Marc Coppey, and Richard Aaron at the Aspen Music Festival and School.
Mr. Fitzpatrick currently performs on a 2017 William Whedbee cello, made in Chicago.