There are many musical opportunities at Harvard, so this is an important question to address. First, HRO is the biggest and oldest orchestra on campus – as Harvard's biggest symphony orchestra (the oldest symphony orchestra in the country, in fact!), the repertoire is often different from that of the other orchestras' on campus. We are well-suited for playing Beethoven and Mahler symphonies but rarely play Mozart, Bach, and Vivaldi. Our large size also means that there are always more students to meet, with a wide variety of interests and concentrations. Lastly, we have a professional conductor, while most other groups on campus have student conductors. The Bach Society Orchestra, a slightly smaller and student-conducted group, has a nice comparison of the different orchestras at Harvard here.

If you have ANY questions, don’t hesitate to contact us via email at hro@hcs.harvard.edu.