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Violinist Maria Arrua played in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago for three years and was a Civic Fellow.
“Spider” Meka Hemmons
For more than a century, young musicians have received expert training through the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, which offers performance opportunities with top-tier conductors and mentorship from musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Currently in its 10th anniversary season, the Civic Fellowship program provides additional professional development for a select group of Civic Orchestra members. The mission of the Fellowship is to prepare participants for multifaceted careers in music through four pillars of concert curation, music education, social justice and project management.
In the interview below, violinist and former Civic Fellow Maria Arrua shares her memories of the program.
What is your background with music and your instrument?
I started studying violin at age 10 at the National Conservatory of Music in Paraguay. I moved to the United States for college and finished my doctorate in music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
What led you to audition for the Civic Orchestra?
I had heard good things about the program from many different people. Also, I was becoming more interested in orchestral playing and thought it could be a great next step for me; plus, mentorship from CSO musicians sounded like a dream!
How did being a Civic Orchestra member and Fellow help you professionally and personally? Are there career milestones you would not have reached without your time in Civic?
Playing in the Civic Orchestra alongside amazing young musicians continuously motivated me to work hard and get better. It was very special to play in Orchestra Hall, on the same stage where so many outstanding musicians perform. Civic is such a high-caliber and supportive group; I felt that our CSO coaches, conductors, coordinators and staff, as well as fellow musicians, always wanted the best for us and were willing to help however they could.
I had the pleasure of playing in the Civic Orchestra for three years. During that time, I got to play a great variety of repertoire and attended numerous workshops with subjects ranging from audition preparation to how to make good financial decisions. My view of the profession became a lot more wholesome as a result of the great education I received during my time in Civic.
Since I entered Civic, I have won auditions with four regional orchestras, including concertmaster in one of them. In addition, I am able to use skills that I learned and developed in the Civic Fellowship. I design and perform interactive concerts at schools for two of the orchestras that I currently play with. During my time in the fellowship, I was placed to teach group classes at the People’s Music School. I learned to love teaching and connecting with students. This motivated me to look for more opportunities, and I now have my own private violin studio and also teach as an adjunct professor at Illinois Wesleyan University.
Also, I continue playing with former Civic musicians in a string quartet as well as in other groups in the area.
What do you think sets the Civic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association as a whole apart from other orchestras?
The orchestral experience is incredible because of Civic being connected to and supported by the CSO. We get wonderful mentorship from CSO musicians and incredible opportunities to work with conductors and other personalities that come to Orchestra Hall.
The experience goes even beyond that, immersing its musicians in the community and continuously organizing residencies, events and performances that are meaningful and relevant.
What were some of your favorite moments, events or projects while a Civic Fellow? How did those experiences prepare you professionally?
The school visits were one of the biggest and more rewarding projects to me. We memorized the music to be able to connect with students better, without music stands blocking our view. We also choreographed each piece to physically express how the compositions unfolded. It would take months to get ready, and it was so worth it to be able to present it to the schools! When I design school performances now, they are always guided by my Civic experiences.
How have you kept involved with Civic since you were a member?
I have been able to be back as a substitute musician. My three years in Civic were life-changing, and I hope to stay connected always.
Why should donors support the Civic Orchestra?
The Civic Orchestra is a terrific program for early-career musicians looking to advance their orchestral playing. What they will find is a lot more than that: a program designed to form the complete musician, with opportunities in education, chamber music, composition, grant design, event planning and helping to stay open, grounded and relevant with the current times.
