Orchestra
Section Navigation
Related Links

Orchestral activity has taken place on Whitman College’s campus for over a century. As far back as 1898, a string orchestra at Whitman performed the music of Handel and Mendelssohn for audiences of the Walla Walla community.
Today’s Whitman Orchestra offers students an opportunity to perform music from some of the greatest artists of the orchestral tradition. Over the course of each school year, the orchestra performs music that ranges from baroque suites to modern symphonies. It explores famous masterworks as well as neglected treasures with instrumentation that ranges from pieces for string orchestra to those for a full symphonic orchestra.
The orchestra is comprised of both music majors and students majoring in other fields—a reflection of the varied interests among typical Whitman students. At the annual concerto competition, students vie for the opportunity to perform in concert with the Whitman Orchestra. Having toured throughout the region to cities such as Seattle and Portland, the orchestra maintains an active presence in local community as well as the greater Northwest.
The ensemble is open to all string, wind, and percussion students through audition. Learn more about Audition materials. Students interested in participating with the Whitman Orchestra should contact Professor Luongo.
Whitman Orchestra Pledge
A healthy orchestral community is one where all voices can flourish. However one engages with the orchestra - in the audience, the musician’s chair, or on the podium - this should be a place that promotes a sense of belonging to all. Unfortunately, the orchestra has long been an institution with barriers that prevent diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Necessary conversations are taking place across our country that have drawn attention to the deeply painful effects of racism, prejudice, and bias throughout our culture, problems that also have a long history in the orchestral community. Beginning in the Fall of 2020, the Whitman Orchestra began learning more about this history throughout our American orchestral institutions. We are committed to playing our part to change classical music at every level; in the music we play, in how we rehearse, and in the way we engage with our audience. As an orchestra, we have drawn our inspiration from the forward-looking action of the choral community’s Black Voices Matter Pledge, which reminds us that critical self-reflection is a part of the artistic process. To help us better understand our role in this mission to embrace change, we have assembled a student committee to help guide our reflection and growth in these areas. That group meets throughout the year and leads our collective interrogation of these issues. Through these efforts, we want to be a better ensemble each year and to set a better example for our colleagues across the world of classical music.
Further critical interrogation and action are necessary in order to construct a more just and equitable orchestral community. The Whitman Orchestra is committed to taking those steps, not as the singular vision of one individual but as a community. As an ensemble, we will shoulder these responsibilities collectively and sculpt our values through discussion and mutual exploration. If you would like to read our full pledge, please visit the Whitman Orchestra ensemble page on the Music Department website.
Watch the Fall 2015 Orchestra Concert