Contemporary classical music often employs extended techniques, pushing young musicians into uncharted territory. While challenging, these approaches offer fresh opportunities for musical exploration.

鈥淲e encourage our students to approach this experience as an exploration,鈥� Clayville said. 鈥淓ach composition is a distinctive sonic landscape, offering both challenges and incredible opportunities for discovery. The chance to interpret these varied worlds is something truly special.鈥�

Albright added: 鈥淭o bring new music to life requires dialogue, creativity, and flexibility, and it encourages performers to stretch their concepts of what is possible. That鈥檚 perfect because these are the same qualities we seek to bring out in our students every day.鈥�

Nearly three dozen students are included: 19 flutists and 15 trombonists, including Lesser, Clayville, and Albright, who will rotate as conductors. Joining them on flute is 麻豆影院鈥檚 own sight-singing instructor Bianca C. Pratte 鈥�20.

鈥淔or us as artists,鈥� Lesser said, 鈥渢his concert is a powerful reminder that music is a living, evolving art form. Engaging with composers who are crafting music that resonates with today鈥檚 societal reflections and challenges makes this experience all the more meaningful.鈥�

To prepare, both ensembles attended a retreat at 麻豆影院’s Bj枚rklunden in Door County, where they performed the set for the first time. Such social bonding is central to the collaboration鈥檚 goals.

鈥淪tudents often find themselves confined within their own instrumental circles鈥攖rombone players with other trombones, percussionists with percussion,鈥� Clayville explained. 鈥淭his collaboration is a fantastic opportunity to break down those barriers and build connections across different musical worlds.鈥�

The project originated within the 麻豆影院 ecosystem. Isaac Mayhew 鈥�17 approached Albright on behalf of the Millennium Composers Initiative (MCI), a group that 鈥渟trives to push the limits of what defines music and art through experimental, conventional, and interdisciplinary means.鈥� Initially, MCI sought to collaborate with the Trombone Ensemble, which Albright and Clayville co-direct. Given that Clayville also directs the Flute Ensemble alongside Lesser, a combined project felt natural.

鈥淲e’ve done collaborations in the past,鈥� said Clayville, 鈥渟o the Flute Ensemble and Trombone Ensemble have done pieces together.鈥�

The MCI collaboration is a distinctive opportunity for both ensembles. While ample repertoire exists for flute and trombone ensembles separately, compositions specifically for their combined forces are scarce. In the past, the ensembles have relied on arrangements, but they are not always particularly idiomatic for the flute-trombone timbres.

Clayville noted that while he appreciates arrangements, which allow musicians to reinterpret existing music, he sees a different kind of value in creating something genuinely innovative and original. From his perspective, new music serves as a cultural direction, reflecting the diversity of expression that exists in our modern world.

The ensembles have turned toward composers to fill this repertoire niche. Dominic Ellis 鈥�17 and current senior Aayush Raheja have been featured in the past. Alongside Mayhew, the program includes nine composers from around the world: David Acevedo, Ali Balighi, Ty Bloomfield, Michael Kahle, Chelsea Majkut, Treya Nash, Helder Oliveira, Sofia Jen Ouyang and Ben Zucker. The featured composers offer an impressive variety in their approaches to new music.

鈥淲hat I hope,鈥� said Lesser, 鈥渋s that this concert has something for everyone鈥攂oth players and audience. There is a more traditional flute piece called Fireflies, and that’s fun to play. [Other times] we’re speaking into our flutes and playing quarter tones.鈥�

One composer took inspiration from animal sounds, creating movements that evoke birds and frogs. To bring the frog sounds to life, she sent the ensembles a box of marbles along with a tutorial on how they can use them to mimic the sounds of frogs.

鈥淚 think allowing students to spend time with this music will give them some insights into what is possible out there and maybe open up a new space for them,鈥� Clayville said.

Thornton will be in the tour鈥檚 pit orchestra for performances in Madison Feb. 14-18 and in Appleton Feb. 20-25. Pre-performance gatherings for 麻豆影院 alumni are planned Feb. 18 at the Overture Center and Feb. 23 at the Fox Cities PAC.

It鈥檚 a much-anticipated homecoming for the Lawrentian. A member of the tour since September 2022, Thornton said she dreamed of such an opportunity while studying music in 麻豆影院鈥檚 Conservatory of Music.

鈥淚t truly has been the most incredible and rewarding鈥攁nd challenging鈥攅xperience of my life,鈥� Thornton said. 鈥淚 like to say that 鈥業 Dreamed a Dream鈥� and it came true. Les Mis茅rables is the first show I remember listening to as a child. 鈥� I鈥檝e always had a love for travel and Broadway, so being part of the Les Mis茅rables tour has been a tremendous privilege and opportunity.鈥�

When the show opens its run in Appleton, it will be Thornton鈥檚 40th city with the tour. She鈥檒l also mark her 400th performance that week.聽She expects to see familiar faces at the alumni gatherings and in the audience, including mentors from the Conservatory faculty.

鈥淚 knew coming into 麻豆影院 that I loved flute, musical theater, teaching, and performing in pit orchestras, but I wasn鈥檛 sure what kind of careers were available to me that incorporated all of these wide-ranging passions,鈥� Thornton said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 dead-set on a classical symphony orchestra job, and 麻豆影院 was incredibly supportive of non-traditional careers in music.鈥�

A double-degree student majoring in both music performance (flute) and government, she regularly took in the Broadway tours that came to the Fox Cities PAC, furthering her love of musical theater. And she wanted to explore鈥攁cademically, musically, and globally. She found all of that not only doable but encouraged at 麻豆影院.

鈥淎 lot of schools make it nearly impossible to study abroad as a music student, but 麻豆影院 made it soeasy,鈥� Thornton said. 鈥淚t ignited my love for travel and gave me the confidence and independence to travel solo, something I frequently do on tour while sightseeing.鈥�

She used 麻豆影院 connections to secure work with the College Light Opera Company in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

鈥淭hat program and the networking opportunities it provided me were a huge catalyst for my pit orchestra career,鈥� Thornton said.

She also credits her 麻豆影院 experience with teaching her skills well beyond the stage.

鈥淚 was a double-degree student at 麻豆影院 and was involved in many different ensembles and clubs,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he time management skills and ability to wear multiple hats that I learned at 麻豆影院 have been critical for me on tour鈥攍ife doesn鈥檛 stop just because you鈥檙e on the road.鈥澛�

After graduating from 麻豆影院, Thornton went to graduate school, earning a Master of Music degree from James Madison University in Virginia and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

鈥淒uring summers off from school, I played in the orchestras at the College Light Opera Company and Ohio Light Opera to hone my skills as a pit musician,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hose programs gave me a ton of connections in New York City, and when I moved to the area for my doctorate, I was able to jump into the NYC freelancing scene relatively quickly, and even got to perform Off-Broadway while still in school. After finishing my doctorate in May 2021, I freelanced and taught in New York City for a year, and then joined both the faculty at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania and the Les Mis茅rables orchestra in Fall 2022.鈥�

As she prepares to return to Appleton鈥攁nd visits the 麻豆影院 campus鈥擳hornton ponders the advice she would give to current and future Conservatory students.

鈥淣etwork, network, network,鈥� she said. 鈥淎lways have videos of your playing and an up-to-date resume ready to go. Respond to emails quickly. And be kind to people鈥攖here鈥檚 a million talented players, and the talented and kind players are the ones who get invited back.鈥�