An Examination of Orchestras and Repertoire Performed at the American String Teachers Association’s National Orchestra Festival (2004–2020)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine participating orchestras and performed repertoire at the American String Teachers Association’s (ASTA) National Orchestra Festival from 2004 through 2020. Participating orchestras (N = 309) primarily consisted of string orchestras and high school–level orchestras with a majority originating from the Southern region of the United States. The most performed full orchestra pieces included Symphony No. 9, op. 95 by Dvořák and Symphony No. 2 by Tchaikovsky, and the most performed string orchestra piece was the Holberg Suite, op. 40 by Grieg. The most frequently cited composers were Dvořák for full orchestra and Mozart for string orchestra. The most frequently cited arrangers were Isaac for full orchestra and Dackow for string orchestra. Female composers and arrangers were highly underrepresented compared with males. Performed repertoire primarily consisted of pieces that conformed to European music traditions. Directors who are unfamiliar with orchestra literature could use these findings as a resource for commonly selected repertoire suitable for high-achieving school orchestras. In addition, findings could provide a catalyst for directors to select music that is more representative of their student population.