The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra relies on members’ input, rather than a conductor, to interpret music, dubbed the “Orpheus Process.” Faculty members Gilad Chen and Paul Hanges spoke about how the process could benefit companies.
Cellist Melissa Meell said many orchestra members hesitate and often wait a beat when coming in to play, unsure of when to start.
But this university’s Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, which Meell is a member of, has none of that hesitation, she said.
“There’s a pop to the sound, an energetic, vibrant sound,” she said.
And that’s because the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, this university’s in-house orchestra comprised of about 30 professional musicians, doesn’t practice or perform with a conductor. Instead, members collaborate and listen to each other’s opinions when deciding how to interpret and play various classical pieces, ranging from Tchaikovsky’s symphonies and concertos to Beethoven’s upbeat and fast-paced pieces.
That collaboration has helped Orpheus become one of the world’s finest and most reputable orchestras. Its process – dubbed the “Orpheus Process” – has proven so successful that several Fortune 500 companies have studied it as a potential business model.
In a creative dialogue in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s Dance Theatre last night, Meell and Orpheus trumpeter Louis Hanzlik, along with business school chair of management and organization Gilad Chen and psychology professor Paul Hanges, spoke about shared leadership and the “Orpheus Process” in a discussion moderated by WAMU-FM’s Kojo Nnamdi, who hosts The Kojo Nnamdi Show for 88.5.
Orpheus, which is based in New York, was founded in 1972 to follow the principles of chamber music, which traditionally plays without a specific conductor, Meell said.
“I thought this was the highest standard,” she said. “I heard one of the concerts and was blown away by the vibrant energy to the group. They looked so liberated, so free.”
Meell and Hanzlik said that Orpheus self-assigns a core group, one for each piece that the orchestra plays. The principal players in each core group will come together before the entire orchestra rehearses and interpret the piece to then lead the full orchestra in rehearsal.
Its model of giving all of its members a voice is one that can propel businesses to success if the particular business is built on engaging all employees – regardless of position – Chen said.
“This works really well for companies that believe individuals’ advantages help them compete,” he said.
From a psychological standpoint, Hanges said Orpheus creates a comfortable atmosphere that allows and encourages wide member participation.
“Part of the ‘Orpheus Process’ depends on people willing to take risks and express voice,” Hanges said. “The ideas put in place create a psychologically safe environment.”
Orpheus’ trust is strong, Hanzlik said, because the orchestra is placing its success and reputation in the hands of each core group. Meell said the pressure to perform to the highest caliber and impress both audiences and one another also keeps the orchestra competitive and constantly motivated.
Hanges said that research shows employees are willing to put in more hours of work when they are internally motivated and are truly passionate. Orpheus rehearses two or three times more than an orchestra with a conductor simply because of that love and the desire to engage with one another, Hanzlik said.
Meell said that as she commutes to and from work, she will hear an orchestra come on the radio with a lively and colorful touch and will immediately be able to distinguish it as Orpheus’ sound.
“I’m usually right,” she said.
raghavendran@umdbk.com
