Orchestral music is a world-renowned form of art. Some of the most famous pieces of music were written for orchestras to perform. Many of the greatest musicians have written and performed symphonies that moved audiences in a way no other medium can.

The Fresno Orchestra Summer Academy (FOOSA), which previously had an opera section, has been around for about 10 years. This year, the camp was held from June 14-30. The program drew in talented musicians from all over the United States to undergo a rigorous gauntlet of perfecting their technique and craft in order to bring a high-level sound to Fresno. 

It is made up of three sections: the philharmonic, which is the most extensive section, the symphony orchestra and the chamber orchestra. 

This year, there were 138 members, including the instructors and students. Their ages range from 12 to 75 years old.

Thomas Loewenheim is the artistic director of FOOSA and has a lifetime of experience with instruments. He lives in Fresno and started the program because he believes in the importance of learning music from different people around the world. 

Loewenheim traveled throughout Europe in his youth, learning from the best in the world. He understood that this wasn’t a reality for everyone, so he decided to find a solution with FOOSA.

“So now for our students here, instead of them traveling the world, we’re bringing the world to them so they can learn and get inspired,” Loewenheim said.

The program brings in musicians from all over the United States to come and teach music students at the  two-week-long summer camp. 

Most instructors can’t help but return to Fresno each year, many citing the magic and sense of belonging that has developed among the musicians. 

“When I come back here every year, I feel like I’m coming back to a gigantic family,” said Sonja Kraus, a cellist and teacher from the University of South Dakota. 

The opportunity to teach at FOOSA is something that instructors rave about.

Lanette Lopez Compton is a horn teacher at Oklahoma State and was recruited to teach at FOOSA nine years ago. At first, she thought it was a made-up program and was too good to be true.

“I had never been asked to do something like that before,” Lopez Compton said. “So it was kind of an exciting adventure.”

The 14-day adventure had students and instructors come together every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The rigorous schedule is intended to create perfection and transform the musicians. 

“There’s a lot of work, but also very fruitful,” said Jackson Snead, a violin instructor from Los Angeles who was also a student at FOOSA nearly a decade ago. “It’s a lot of pushing your limits. It’s a lot of trusting in the process.”

Loewenheim has spent much of his time teaching students how to surpass their own limits when it comes to their musical skills. He explained the challenges that limits can cause for students, especially those who are younger.

“We adults, we have limits,” Loewenheim said. “Then we put our limits on the children. But if you take those limits away and teach young students the same as college, they don’t know their limits and they see their colleagues and they reach that level and beyond.”

Alice is a 13-year-old girl from Fresno who has been playing violin for half her life. She spent the last two weeks learning from instructors with decades of experience and rising to the level of her peers, who are almost double her age.

She has a deep appreciation for what the program offers to musicians. 

“I really enjoyed the pieces and I really like making new friends here,” Alice said. “I really like learning with the new teachers here that came from all over the country.”

Aside from the learning opportunities that FOOSA brings, some found the setlist and concert locations to be an appealing reason to join. 

The philharmonic section is performing three pieces, Arnold Schoenberg’s “Pelleas und Melisande,” which tells the story of a tragic love triangle, Juan Pablo Contreas’ “My Great Dream,” which is a new symphony that was finished about a month ago and Igor Stavinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” which is one of the most iconic pieces that started a riot upon its first performance. 

“Well you see ‘The Rite of Spring’ and you’re like ‘holy crap that’s a doozy,’” said Connell Cornelius, a senior french horn player at the University of North Alabama. “Knowing I get to actually play that at Walt Disney Hall is very gratifying, and I love it.”

Performing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles is a staple for FOOSA. The hall was made after Lillian B. Disney funded the construction in memory of her late husband, Walt Disney. The acoustics of the hall are world-class and are seen as an honor to play in among musicians around the world. 

Compton recalled her first performance at the hall around a decade ago.

“I put my horn down and wiped my tears because I couldn’t believe I was in Walt Disney Concert Hall and that after all this intensive rehearsing and preparation was finally coming to life,” Compton said.

Despite the iconic venue, the culmination of all 138 members’ hard work crescendoed at the final concert in the Saroyan Theatre in Downtown Fresno. 

Fresnans had the opportunity to enjoy the talent of musicians around the nation who had dedicated countless hours toward delivering stunning symphonies and high-level sounds.  

The program will continue next summer and aims to bring more eyes to Fresno.

“I think it’s time for our city to realize how much talent is here, how much potential is here, how much is actually happening and learn to be a proud Fresnan,” Loewenheim said.