By Sabina Mollot
For the past quarter century, the Greenwich Village Orchestra, a group of over 60 musicians from around the city, has been devoted to playing free or low cost symphony concerts. The full orchestra, which performs the most often at the auditorium of Washington Irving High School, around six times a year, also sometimes plays at Rose Hall at Lincoln Center as well as Manhattan churches and parks. The next performance will be at Washington Irving at 40 Irving Place on Sunday, March 25 at 3 p.m.
Jeanne Poindexter, an East Midtown Plaza resident and viola player, has been with the orchestra almost as long as it’s been around, and like the other participants, was never a pro musician but had a background in music. Members include architects, accountants, carpenters, advocates and retirees.
“Some people play freelance, but most people make their living doing something else,” said Poindexter, a PhD and retired professor of biology. “They’re just people who learned to play a youngsters and didn’t want to stop playing.”
Though having always played, Poindexter still studies at the Third Street Music School where her daughter also took classes. “You need someone to constantly criticize your playing — that’s what keeps you playing well,” said Poindexter. Continue reading