Jae Park, a doctor of musical arts student in orchestral conducting in Ohio State's School of Music, needed experience conducting large-scale orchestral works, such as opera, as part of his graduation requirement. His advisor, Miriam Burns, visiting professor and director of orchestral studies in the School of Music, thought of just the right piece to perform.

"L'Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier's Tale)," written by renowned Russian composer Igor Stravisky and Swiss writer C. F. Ramuz, was composed during the Spanish flu of 1918 and written to accommodate a small group of musicians and actors. 

This spring, Park conducted "L'Histoire du Soldat," an interdisciplinary performance featuring students and faculty in the School of Music and the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts. Tom Dugdale, an assistant professor of theatre, film, and media arts, directed. With the completion of the Arts District — a creative hub that will bring the university's performing arts disciplines together — on the horizon, "L'Histoire" was a glimpse of the collaborative opportunities in store at Ohio State.

See below for a glimpse at how the collaboration came together.