The Sustainable Symphony has nothing to do with the environment.
“We’re not playing with recycled instruments or anything like that,” said Brian Viliunas, the graduate conductor of the ASU’s newest orchestra. “We’re talking about the arts’ being one of humanity’s most sustainable endeavors.”
The 50-piece symphony, which Viliunas started in October, strives to make classical concerts more affordable and accessible in order to expand the genre’s fan base and educate Valley residents about the arts.
“We want to make classical music as influential as commercial music,” he said.
“I realized there was a niche that needed to be filled here [at ASU],” said Viliunas, who began doctorate studies in clarinet performance at ASU last fall. “I thought we could come together and do something special.”
Viliunas said he hopes the Symphony will serve as a professional development tool for its younger members, because many music and arts majors lack such guidance.
“They don’t get much practical advice about how to create their own success,” he said. “A lot of music majors go through a phase after they graduate like, ‘What do I do now?’”
Classical music should retain its importance in American life, Viliunas said, because it is powerful in ways other genres are not.
“You can be moved more by music that has no words,” he said.
Also, going to live performances of classical music is a richer experience because of the unpredictability, Viliunas said.
“When you listen to a CD, they spend so much time making it perfect — there’s a human element that’s missing,” he said. “At a live concert, there’s a possibility for tragedy but also opportunities for excellence.”
The Sustainable Symphony will have its debut performance at 1 p.m. on Sunday at the Phoenix Zoo, which Viliunas said shares the orchestra’s target audience.
Reach the reporter at melanie.kiser@asu.edu.
