Dr. Victor Correa-Cruz directs a rehearsal in the band annex for an orchestral performance on Wednesday, March 21. Brianna Hawkins/The Lion’s Roar

Orchestra Director and Assistant Professor of Violin Dr. Victor Correa-Cruz reflects on his journey working in the department of music and performing arts.

Correa-Cruz who has been a part of the university’s music faculty since October explained that his experience has been a fun challenge when it comes to teaching his students.

“When I arrived, I had to take care of things,” said Correa-Cruz. “Then I had to learn how the university works and become familiar with all the spaces, all of the offices, the people and how everything is running here. So, it was an intense time. Right now, I’m more at ease with many things but still very occupied. I have many decisions to make for planning our next concerts.”

Correa-Cruz expressed that he decided to work for the university when he realized that certain things offered in the American university system were not offered in Europe.

“I was a student in the United States in my college years, and here I studied my master’s and my doctorate,” said Correa-Cruz. “So, I went back to Spain afterwards, and I was working in Europe for a few years. But I missed a few things that the American university system was offering, and I started thinking that maybe I should develop something in the states. I contacted some schools, and it turned out that Southeastern was interested in having me. I was very happy about that. I came and started taking care of the orchestra program here.”

Once Correa-Cruz started working for the university, he started changing chamber orchestra to a symphony orchestra.

Correa-Cruz said, “We’ll still play pieces that require less players, and that would belong to the chamber orchestra repertoire, but the main thing is that we’re developing the program with more students to become a bigger group that allows us to play symphonic works by composers like Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak to name a few. The idea is to cover composers from the Romantic period on, and that’s part of my task here. I shall set the ground for that.”  

One project Correa-Cruz and the university’s orchestra are looking forward to is his first performance in the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m.  

“You can expect an interesting program that shows music from a transitional period where composers were opening up to new ideas, especially focusing on being more expressive and breaking the forms,” said Correa-Cruz. “The classical forms were tight. The composers were starting to break free. So, that’s what we are presenting here. It’s just an open window to romantic repertoire that launches the beginning of the romantic era.”

Attendees can also expect performances from faculty members, local professional players and international soloist Washington Garcia who will play Wolfgang Mozart’s “Piano Concerto in D minor K.466.”

“The forces that we are putting together for this program are very diverse,” said Correa-Cruz. “I am convinced the overall result will be very good. I’m also looking forward to it because this is my first time performing in the emblematic Columbia Theatre, so that’s exciting. I expect that the orchestra will show a lot of good qualities and a lot of energy to present this wonderful program. So, whoever comes is going to have a very good experience and is going to see a solid performance by an excellent college symphony orchestra.”

Correa-Cruz wants to incorporate repertoire that helps highlight the assets of the university’s orchestra while getting more involved with the community.

“We’re designing projects that are involving collaborations with choirs, bands, ballet with some faculty and students to perform as soloists, also with some other guest artists that we are going to invite from the international circuit,” said Correa-Cruz. “The whole program is going to be very dynamic, collaborating with as many people and institutions as possible. Then we also need to come closer to the community, and for doing that, we have to organize family concerts, pops, film music events, collaborations with our pre-college program.”

Correa-Cruz feels that by getting more involved with the community, the orchestra will be known in places outside the local community.

“I want to get more rooted in the community as well as more projected towards the outside and make some outreach concerts so that our program is better known in other places by having the orchestra tour sometime,” said Correa-Cruz.

When it comes to why Correa-Cruz chose to work in this field, he says it was not really a decision.

“For me, it was more like the natural thing to do,” said Correa-Cruz. “I was playing since I was a kid, and I got more and more involved as years went by. Playing in an orchestra made me realize that I felt something very special when I was making music with other colleagues. As a student, playing solo and chamber music gave me beautiful moments too. From then on, all my efforts were directed to get as good as I could in this difficult field so that I could devote myself to my professional musical career.”

One thing Correa-Cruz enjoys about teaching his students is that there is always something to learn.

“Teaching my students has always been a great challenge and a great pleasure,” said Correa-Cruz. “By doing it, you have to constantly update your concepts and be very aware of the evolution of this art form. So, you never get to an arrival point, which allows you to be constantly learning.”