Whether as a provider, trainee, or support staff, being in health care can be enormously demanding, often with little room for outside interests or interactions with others who may share them.
Recently, a few dozen musically inclined members of UConn Health’s faculty, staff, and student body found a way to overcome this challenge: They formed an orchestra and started practicing together Wednesday nights in the cafeteria.
For Dr. Anthony Diaz, neurosurgery resident and principal flutist, it’s the perfect vehicle to merge his passions of medicine and music.
“The orchestra provides a sense of community and belonging, much like a lifeline during the demands of residency,” Diaz says. “It mirrors the teamwork and trust essential in medicine while offering a space to reconnect with creativity. For me, this group serves as both an escape and a reminder of the balance needed to thrive in such a challenging profession.”
The Orchestra of UConn Health, or “OUCH!,” made its debut performance Wednesday, Dec. 18, sharing the stage with the student a cappella group “Do No Harmony.”
“Music has always been a deeply communal experience for me,” says medical student Yee Won Kim, who plays the violin. “There’s a unique joy in blending my sound with others, creating harmonies that convey emotions words often cannot. I am profoundly grateful for this orchestra and the magic of our hopefully annual holiday concert. Every rehearsal is a celebration of creativity and joy, especially during the busy hours that medical school can bring; and through this journey, I’ve met so many remarkable people. I can’t wait to see how our orchestra continues to grow.”
Their free winter concert, featuring the music of Fauré, Mozart, and Corelli, as well as holiday tunes, played to a full house in UConn Health’s Keller Auditorium, which seats nearly 300.
“I think the concert exceeded everyone’s expectations,” says Dr. Howard Gutstein, chair of UConn Health’s Department of Anesthesiology and the orchestra’s conductor. “The orchestra and the singers sounded great. The crowd was standing room only and totally into everything — the energy felt like a rock concert! I received many compliments from audience members. I think we will need a bigger auditorium for the spring concert!”
Dr. Francesco S. Celi, who joined UConn Health to chair the medical school’s Department of Medicine last year, formed the orchestra.
“I am truly overwhelmed and full of joy and gratitude! Seeing so many colleagues, students, and members of the community attending the concert and having a great time was truly amazing,” Celi says. “I did very little, I just connected the many talented musicians I knew were ‘hidden somewhere’ in our community. A special thanks goes to Ms. Cassandra Keola and Ms. Kathy Lodovico for all their help with the logistics and administrative support, to and our amazing AV colleagues who made this dream become a real event.”
A self-described amateur violinist, Celi had started an orchestra at his previous institution, the Virginia Commonwealth University.
“I know all too well that it is very difficult to carve out the time to practice, and finding a group to play within the constraints of our lives is almost an impossible task,” he says. “On the other hand, I know that in the medical field there are many musicians who share the passion and the lack of time and opportunity to play. By getting together at the end of the workday in the hospital we can cut the commuting time, and also find the motivation to play and challenge ourselves outside our comfort zone.”
Lily Zhong was among the medical students in the string section.
“When I saw Dr. Celi was starting a UConn Health Orchestra, I couldn’t have been more excited to dust off my cello and play music again alongside fellow students, residents, and faculty at UConn Health,” Zhong says. “It was amazing to see everyone come together to celebrate the holiday season with us [Wednesday] night. Thank you to everyone who made this event possible and thank you to all those who came to support us!”
Zijian Li is a violin-playing MD-Ph.D. candidate.
“I really appreciate the diverse talent of my friends and colleagues and feel honored to give back to the UConn community by performing in the concert,” Lin says.
Medical student Jakob Lattanzi says he’s loved belonging to an ensemble since he started playing the clarinet at age 10.
“Not only is it a fun challenge, but it’s also — as my high school orchestra director would say — an opportunity to ‘leave your worries at the door’ and focus on the music you’re making and the people you’re making it with,” Lattanzi says. “I believe that such an opportunity is valuable for everyone, and the students and faculty here at UConn Health are no exception!”
“For us, playing together is truly healing,” Celi says. “We all have very demanding and stressful jobs, and for many of us the participation in this activity is very important. The smiles that I see every time we play together tell me we are doing a good thing.”
Celi has visions of a growing ensemble and a hope that the performances will become a tradition at UConn Health.
“We are looking forward to many more concerts and events,” Celi says. “For the next semester we are already planning a concert, and hopefully for the fall semester a Halloween, then a holiday concert. In the long run we hope to support fundraising initiatives for UConn Health.”
Watch and listen to the Dec. 18 concert, made possible the UConn IT Enterprise Technology and UConn Health Multimedia Services:
Orchestra of UConn Health
- Conductor: Howard Gutstein, faculty
- Violin I: Felicia Woron, medical student
- Violin I: Zijian Li, medical student
- Violin I: Yee Won Kim, medical student
- Violin I: Chloe Li, medical student
- Violin II: Nishika Navrange, medical student
- Violin II: Francesco S. Celi, faculty
- Violin II: Ling Chi, medical student
- Viola: Jimin Shin, medical student
- Cello: Kiran Singh-Smith, medical student
- Cello: Lily Zhong, medical student
- Cello: Clement Omotuyi Ojo, graduate student
- Cello: Claire Chang, medical student
- Cello: Will Bannon, undergraduate student/research
- Flute: Anthony Diaz, neurosurgery resident
- Flute: Anna Thomas, speech language pathologist
- Flute: Samhita Gurrala, medical student
- Clarinet: Jakob Baldwin Lattanzi, medical student
- Clarinet: Heather McClure, medical student
- Clarinet: Rebecca Hudon, surgical resident
- Clarinet: Frank Han, faculty
- Clarinet: Stephen Yitong Li, graduate student
- Bass clarinet: Haley MacDonald, medical student
- Bass clarinet: Nicole Grullon, orthodontic resident
- Trombone: Marissa Iverson, librarian
Do No Harmony
- Charlotte Clifford, medical student
- Zoe Barnett, medical student
- Ellen Fuller, medical student
- Stephanie Akosa, medical student
- Erin Wu, dental student
- Rose Horowitz, medical student
- Edith Oteng, medical student
- Patty Sztachelski, medical student
- Chloe Li, medical student
- Caitlin Lawrence, medical student
- James Marks, medical student
- Jason Gao, medical student
- Paul Issac, medical student
- Tucker Rathe, medical student
- Sether Johnson, medical student
- Stephen Li, medical student
