Matias Relyea plays violin at the orchestra performance in October of fall semester.
Photo Credit: Gracie Sheaff, Watauga Yearbook.
At Watauga, sophomore Matias Relyea has been awarded an opportunity for his hard work in the classroom and on the stage. Recently, Relyea has been accepted into the NC Honors Orchestra.
This acceptance is not only the next step in a great musical career for Relyea, but it also gives him the option to compete against the best violinists in North Carolina for his placement in the 2nd violin section. This is a prestigious position he has worked for and to get a better look inside this accolade, he shares his experience.
“I was placed in the 2nd violin section and will have to audition for my seating in the NC Honors Orchestra, which allows for up to 16 different positions,” Relyea said. “The first chair is the principal, and the other violinists follow the directions of the principal”
Relyea has worked on several pieces from world-renowned composers and has spent time studying the movements of their symphonies.
“I have also learned a variety of well-known pieces in the past, including Mozart’s 3rd Violin Concerto, Czardas, and the Minuet and Loure from Bach’s Violin Partita III,” he said. “I am currently working on the Preludio from Bach’s Violin Partita III and am mostly finished with the second movement of Baal Shem, titled Nigun.”
Another astonishing talent Relyea possesses is math. Relyea has worked extensively with math theorems as well as participated in high-level math competitions.
“I have already worked extensively on Number Theory, and am looking forward to applying my interest in modern algebra to the immense amount of Linear Algebra and Number Theory that are required,” said Relyea. “I am currently most interested in exploring number fields and their relationship with modules, particularly Z-modules and Q-modules.”
Relyea spoke about the incorporation of math and orchestra together and how he can use math to optimize his movements in a piece.
“For me, mathematics really has no practical use in the playing and performance of music, but it can be very useful when trying to optimize a certain fingering or movement to a scenario,” he said. “While mathematics and music seem completely unrelated, there’s a distinct relationship between particularly stringed instruments and harmonics. There’s quite a bit of music theory and physics surrounding note frequencies and how they’re composed to form different intervals and harmonies, such as octaves, sixths, perfect fifths, fourths, thirds, seconds, tenths, and other such intervals.”
Relyea will now set his sights on a unique high school at NCSSM (North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics) Durham and use this achievement to help with his acceptance.
“My participation in this program will also be helpful in my application to NCSSM Durham, as it will illustrate how I can work with other like-minded individuals in a team, and demonstrate my ability to follow instructions and act as a leader,” Relyea said.
Relyea gave homage to the people who have helped him along his journey for their efforts to guide him through an already prestigious musical career.
“My violin teacher, Chelsea Whittaker, has been of immense help throughout my learning, and has helped me learn a variety of solo pieces and orchestral pieces and perfect my technique,” he said. “Mr. Selle, who is the orchestra director at the high school, has also been of great help, guiding me through the processes of becoming a good section leader and concertmaster.”
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