Heartfelt Tributes for Symphony Pro Musica
Mark’s earnest, music-loving approach, as well as his ability to shape the rehearsal sequence so that everyone could play with confidence at concert night, created a congenial atmosphere that made all of us give our best.
Playing under the baton of Mark Churchill with Symphony Pro Musica for two seasons was a uniquely wonderful experience. No wonder, Mark’s musical imagination combined with his ability to relay his ideas to the orchestra resulted in memorable performances. Mark’s earnest, music-loving approach, as well as his ability to shape the rehearsal sequence so that everyone could play with confidence at concert night, created a congenial atmosphere that made all of us give our best. I cherish my memories of both the rehearsals and the concerts and remain grateful to Mark for making it possible for me to play the clarinet parts in Symphony Pro Musica’s 2021-2023 seasons.
Being a part of this orchestra has awakened a profound connection to the music and my fellow musicians.
Four years ago I embarked on a life-changing journey as I became a part of Symphony Pro Musica, led by maestro Mark Churchill. Joining this orchestra was like finding a home for my soul - a place where music flourishes with its own unique resonance and radiates boundless positive energy. Every time I play alongside my fellow musicians, I feel their hearts intertwining with mine, all pouring their love into every note we play. Maestro Mark's guidance and the carefully chosen repertoire allow us to reveal our true selves through the music, making each performance a deeply personal and transformative experience. The rehearsals are not just practice sessions; they are infused with love, passion, and a shared desire to bring out the very essence of each musician's artistry. Being a part of this orchestra has awakened a profound connection to the music and my fellow musicians. SPM will forever hold a special place in my heart, as it is where I've discovered the true power of music and the beauty of souls uniting through music.
As a professional musician, I can say with confidence that I have rarely played under the baton of someone as gifted as Maestro Churchill.
Playing in Symphony Pro Musica has been a wonderful experience. Mark Churchill’s skills as a conductor are truly impressive. His musicality, technique and passion are on the highest level. I learn something in every rehearsal and leave inspired! His musical interpretations are superb. As a professional musician, I can say with confidence that I have rarely played under the baton of someone as gifted as Maestro Churchill. The orchestra continues to improve under Mark’s baton, as he lifts the group to ever higher levels.
No matter how we felt when we arrived at (a performance) we would all, audience members, conductor, and orchestra, feel much better when we left. How many things are there left in today’s world with that level of reliability and assurance?
In my thirty-two plus years of being involved with Symphony Pro Musica, as a devoted audience member, and eight years as President of the Board of Directors, I have often stated that the organization always felt very much like a family. Each concert, especially the first of the year, felt very much like a family reunion; of familiar faces catching up with each other, which included not only the many returning audience members, but also our conductor Mark Churchill and the many talented musicians and young soloists with the orchestra, all happy to be back to perform and enjoy some of the greatest music ever written. But also, SPM represented more than just being a musical family. In a world of great uncertainties, and sometimes even of terror, Symphony Pro Musica has always been there for us. Always been there with the assurance that no matter how we felt when we arrived at one of our concerts, we would all – audience members, conductor, and orchestra - feel much better when we left. How many things are there left in today’s world with that level of reliability and assurance? So I say, thank goodness for music. Thank goodness for Beethoven, for Giuseppe Verdi, for Gustav Mahler, and most especially, thank goodness for Symphony Pro Musica.
My first attendance at a concert by Symphony Pro Musica under the direction of its founding conductor, Maestro Mark Churchill, was so delightful that I immediately became a subscribing member
Upon returning to this area after an absence of several decades, I happily discovered the existence of a wonderfully accomplished regional symphony orchestra. My first attendance at a concert by Symphony Pro Musica under the direction of its founding conductor, Maestro Mark Churchill, was so delightful that I immediately became a subscribing member. I’ve been a patron ever since and encourage live-music lovers to attend and enjoy SPM concerts and become patrons, too.
