Orpheus is currently in the midst of a three-part residency at Lafayette College that provides students with the opportunity to get an inside look at Orpheus’ unique organizational structure, to develop one-on-one relationships with Orpheus musicians and to draw connections between the classroom and the concert hall.
Orpheus’ residency at Lafayette College in the 2006-2007 includes three events: October 10, 2006, November 29, 2006 and February 4, 2007. Each event includes a live performance at the Williams Center featuring Orpheus performing alongside a world famous guest artist (Emanuel Ax, Jeremy Denk and Ian Bostridge), and a pre-concert event which a select number of students who have a particular interest in music, music business, arts leadership and/or entrepreneurialism are invited to attend by Lafayette College president Daniel Weiss. Dr. Weiss has spearheaded this effort, personally inviting 100 students who are particularly interested in the above areas to each pre-concert event.
Each pre-concert event includes a demonstration of the Orpheus Process®—Orpheus’ unique method of rotating leadership which enables the orchestra to perform without a conductor—followed by an open question and answer session/discussion period. The Orpheus Process has been used as a teaching tool at universities around the world, with recent articles appearing in the Economist and Business 2.0, reflecting international recognition. In addition, professor J. Richard Hackman of Harvard University and Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer of Stanford University have written extensively about Orpheus and its unique work processes.