Orchestra Iowa film celebrates 100 years of perseverance, resilience

The Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra Iowa, now known as Orchestra Iowa, is seen in a 1938 historic photograph. (Inventive Gene Movies)

A nonetheless body from a brand new documentary movie on Orchestra Iowa exhibits The Paramount Theatre, initially known as The Capitol Theatre, in a historic photograph. (Inventive Gene Movies)

Allen Lawrence, a longtime musician for Orchestra Iowa, performs the timpani in a nonetheless body from a brand new documentary movie on Orchestra Iowa. (Inventive Gene Movies)

Tim Hankewich, maestro and music director for Orchestra Iowa, is seen being interviewed a nonetheless body from a brand new documentary movie in regards to the group’s historical past. (Inventive Gene Movies)

Folks arrive on the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids because the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre presents “Carmen” on Jan. 17, 2014. (The Gazette)

Orchestra Iowa’s college and Opus Live performance Cafe, subsequent to Paramount Theatre, is seen in a nonetheless body from a brand new documentary movie about Orchestra Iowa’s 100-year historical past. (Inventive Gene Movies)

Jim Hoffman, former board president of Orchestra Iowa, speaks throughout an interview in a nonetheless body from a brand new documentary movie in regards to the orchestra’s 100-year historical past. (Inventive Gene Movies)

CEDAR RAPIDS — “Don’t you suppose Cedar Rapids should have an orchestra?” insurance coverage agent E.A. Hazelton requested in 1922.

The rhetorical query was the inception of the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, now Orchestra Iowa — one of the crucial revered skilled symphonies within the Midwest.

As Orchestra Iowa celebrates 100 years of excellence, a brand new movie exhibits what number of instances the Cedar Rapids neighborhood mentioned “sure.” The documentary from Inventive Gene Movies narrates its first century by means of an evolution in professionalism, the flood of 2008, the derecho of 2020 and the pandemic because the legacy establishment positions itself for the subsequent century.

“To return to this milestone is a sign of how a lot this neighborhood loves its orchestra and the way a lot it stood by this orchestra by means of an extended historical past of ups and downs,” mentioned Maestro Tim Hankewich, music director of Orchestra Iowa. “So this can be a actually vital second for us to not solely have fun that we made it this far, but in addition to reinvigorate it so we’ll be right here in one other hundred years.”

With no video footage to drag from, the documentary movie’s format borrowed closely from the model popularized by PBS documentary maker Ken Burns. With heavy emphasis on historic photographs utilizing voice-over from these most intimately concerned with the orchestra through the years, the movie provides the largest microphone to the voices who know inform the story greatest.

“We wished to inform the story of how this orchestra has at all times been half and parcel due to the neighborhood. It exists due to the neighborhood and the neighborhood advantages drastically due to its existence,” mentioned Ben Marlow, author for the movie from Inventive Gene Movies. “The story reveals itself by means of speaking with the musicians and administrators and the principal folks of the orchestra. It was so vital to let the folks’s voices inform the story.”

Viewers will learn the way the orchestra rapidly outgrew its first dwelling at Sinclair Memorial Chapel; its transfer to the Paramount Theatre; the leaders who turned a pool of neighborhood expertise right into a formidable band of execs; and its trendy packages that make investments a major quantity into educating the subsequent era — instilling a way of appreciation that can reap help for the group for many years to come back.

“We wished a higher appreciation for the orchestra past appreciation within the concert events,” mentioned Sweet Wong, govt producer who recruited Marlow and video producer Paul Marion to commemorate Orchestra Iowa’s one centesimal birthday. “I’m very a lot of the opinion that with out creativity, there may be nothing. What higher method than the humanities to try to instill in folks a way of ‘I can do one thing, I could make one thing, I can provide one thing.’ ”

The late Barnes O’Donnell, former president of the symphony board, tells the story of finessing the donation of the deserted Paramount Theatre to town and fundraising $1 million to renovate it into a brand new dwelling for the orchestra. One other individual interviewed, Diane Jacobs, performed the cello from 1950 to 2011 for each conductor in one of many oldest constantly working orchestras west of the Mississippi River.

O’Donnell’s interview was captured earlier than he died in December 2022.

Whereas filming quite a few hours of interviews over 11 months, the documentary encountered a number of challenges. By volunteering their time, Marion and Marlow helped resolve the primary one — no finances to supply the movie.

“We predict (Orchestra Iowa) is the lifeblood of the neighborhood. It’s all about neighborhood,” Marlow mentioned. “If the neighborhood doesn’t help it and provides to those teams, we’re at deep loss.”

Now with about 70 skilled gamers sourced from sturdy expertise markets throughout the nation, Cedar Rapids punches above its weight for a midsized Iowa metropolis. However surviving 100 years concerned a number of moments of deep loss. By means of all of it, Marion known as the story one of many metropolis’s survival.

The flood of 2008 posed one of many first sensible challenges for documenting the orchestra’s historical past. Though the orchestra stored meticulous information all through its historical past, most had been destroyed by the flood. Marion and Marlow relied on articles from The Gazette and The Historical past Middle’s archives to deliver to life a lot of the group’s early historical past.

“It was so emotional to come back again and see destruction from the flood,” Marlow mentioned. “They had been decided to not let it go.”

After reconstructing the Paramount, the COVID-19 pandemic took a major hit on arts and tradition organizations reliant on in-person exhibits. Then, injury from the August 2020 derecho destroyed the orchestra’s assortment of printed music — about $40,000.

“It’s very dramatic. We tried to make this as emotionally evocative as we might,” Marion mentioned.

Hoping to interact the subsequent era, the movie incorporates what Orchestra Iowa is doing to pivot for the subsequent 100 years. As the everyday classical music viewers grows older, the filmmakers credit score present music director Hankewich with efforts to diversify the orchestra right into a extra inclusive group that displays the way forward for Iowa.

The title, “100 Years Into Our Future,” has a selected emphasis on the “our” to replicate the inclusivity that has at all times been on the coronary heart of the community-led group.

“The movie was a solution to spotlight the very humble starting of the orchestra and the way far it’s progressed into what it’s right now,” mentioned Jeff Collier, Orchestra Iowa’s govt director. “I believe it’s a chance to replicate on the historical past of the orchestra and the function it’s performed in the neighborhood.”

Feedback: (319) 398-8340; elijah.decious@thegazette.com