The SMC Symphony Orchestra Children’s Concert
On March 29, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Symphony Orchestra performed a children’s concert in collaboration with the SMC theatre department at the BroadStage. Together, they brought to life “The Carnival of Animals,” a musical piece by Camille Saint-Saëns; “Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1 & No. 2” by Edvard Greig; and “Mambos,” a South American piece by Arturo Prado.
The orchestra was conducted by part-time music director Mercedes Juan Musotto, who has been a part of the SMC faculty since 2013. In an interview with Juan Musotto, she expressed her gratitude and inspiration towards this children's show. “The grant inspired us to find a way of collaborating with other departments, because it’s supposed to be for that,” she said.
Last semester, the SMC music department was provided with a grant in support by the Ilona Jo Katz Chair of Excellence in Music for the following years of 2024-27.
The show on March 29 consisted of musical theatre aspects, which brought an interactive experience to the music, acting and narration for children and families. In “The Carnival of the Animals,” narrators introduced the orchestras’ depictions of various animals; a play performance by theatre students accompanied the musical piece of “Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1 & No. 2;” and the finale of the symphony orchestra of “Mambos” provided a lively end to the show.
These musical aspects made the show entertaining for the audience of energetic children, compared to other orchestra shows. “I think the fact that makes it unique is the fact that it’s for children, and it’s going to be very participatory… (It) invites children to like classical music, and to see classical music as something that is for everyone, and fun,” said Juan Musotto.
(In “Carnival,”) “there are swings and animals. Perfect for kids!” said Katreia Mori, a musician from outside of SMC who played cello in the orchestra.
Many details brought life to the performance. During “The Carnival of the Animals,” many orchestra players throughout the sections wore different animal masks, headbands for ears, and even conductor Juan Musotto wore ears and a tail during this piece. Beforehand, the lobby of the BroadStage provided various animal masks and accessories for children to choose from to wear during the show as well.
After a short intermission, “Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1 & No. 2” was performed. Teamwork of the theatre and music departments, and the scriptwriter, allowed this piece to come together. The audience follows alongside a young boy named Peer Gynt as he faces a journey of telling the truth to get back home. The performance seemed to captivate the eyes of the young ones, as the exhilarating performance and music collaborated with the energy of the piece.
“Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1 & No. 2”, incidental music pieces, are composer Edward Grieg’s writings for Henrik Ibsen’s eponymous play. “Peer Gynt is pretty famous. It’s a common one to play,” said James Kocher, an SMC student who played clarinet in the concert.
When asked where the collaboration’s idea came from, Meron Kerlos, an SMC theater arts major, said, “I think it’s an album from before and we just acted along with it.” Kerlos played Hilda, among multiple other characters, for the incidental music.
David Marcus, a non-SMC musician who played horn in “Peer Gynt,” said, “They built up a story that ran along with the music!”
“Mambos,” the finale piece seem to be a favorite for Juan Musotto. “I love the last one, the Mambo,” said Juan Musotto. “All the South American rhythms, I love the way they kind of get to have fun, you know. Orchestra musicians don't necessarily get to do all the movements and be silly, but because it’s for children we get to find our inner child and express ourselves in a different way, that we won’t normally express in a traditional concert.”
The energy of the orchestra during “Mambos” was energetic, with choreographed movements of the violins lifting their bows, and fellow members lifting their instruments to the lyrics. In return, the audience of all ages danced along to the orchestra, and moved to the rhythm of the music.
To close out the show, they announced that the audience was welcome to attend an instrument petting zoo in the lobby. Performers of the orchestra demonstrated and answered questions from the children, and allowed them to play their instruments.
The symphony orchestra will have various concerts in the next few months at BroadStage. Their next show at BroadStage will be the SMC Applied Music Showcase Friday, May 2, at 8 p.m.