Medical student Vivian Lam is assistant concertmaster. She is one of more than 20 violinists in the LSO.

Each of the LSO concerts has drawn more than a thousand friends and family of the extended U-M life sciences community. Trombonist Michael Paulsen is a medical student and member of that community.

Multitalented medical student Sam Terman and physics graduate student Max Radin have found their place among the woodwinds. See interviews with other LSO artists and view videos of rehearsals.

Medical student and concertmaster Daniel Choi performed in the LSO’s April 2013 program, which featured Maurice Ravel’s “Ma Mère L’oye” (or “Mother Goose”). The program showcased several evocative movements depicting Sleeping Beauty, Tom Thumb, an Asian princess, Beauty and the Beast, and a fairy garden.

A recent LSO peformance featured “Pictures at an Exhibition,” a suite of short pieces —inspired by a gallery exhibit of paintings—that was brought to life by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky and arranged for orchestra by Maurice Ravel.

Musicians like cellist and medical student Joshua Bornstein, ’12, are eligible to audition for the LSO. Visit the orchestra’s musicians page for more information.

(From left): Erica Scheller, postdoctoral fellow in molecular and integrative physiology; Kara Gavin, public relations staff at the U-M Health System; D’Arcy Cook, engineering undergraduate; Andy Dill, dentistry alumnus and adjunct faculty member; and Edward Norton, a professor in the School of Public Health and College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Bassist Emily Naoum, ’10, fills her time away from the orchestra as a medical student. Fans of the LSO can hear recent performances on CD.

Medical student and principal trumpet player Carl Engelke checks the sound in Hill Auditorium. He was one of about a dozen medical students performing in concert on April 28. The orchestra presents two free performances a year, generally in January and late April/early May.

The LSO offers musicians an opportunity to play in a large ensemble, while building a sense of community across the life sciences. The bassoon section includes Amy Kilbourne, a faculty member in psychiatry at the Medical School and a researcher in the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System; Becky Altschuler, a graduate of the School of Public Health; Mike DiPietro, a professor in radiology at the Medical School; and Tony Markel, a member of the Medical School’s information services staff. (Photo Credit: Kara Gavin)

Andrea Knittel is a recent graduate of both the Medical School and the School of Public Health. She has performed with the LSO for seven years.

The LSO is a program of the U-M Health System’s Gifts of Art program, created to bring the world of art and music to the U-M Health System. Here, harpist Allison Ho, a researcher in the plastic surgery section of the Medical School’s Department of Surgery, expresses her appreciation for that gift. (Photo Credit: Kara Gavin)

The LSO provides a performance outlet for members of U-M’s life sciences community who have previous musical training but few opportunities to play. Violinist Alana Kirby is a recent graduate of the Medical School.