In a distinguished production that merges tradition with innovation at the SCW Cultural Arts presented the Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra captivated the hearts of the audience with their InsideOut concert of Beethoveen’s No. 5 Symphony on Sunday.

The special concert at Temple Emanuel of Great Neck marks the first time that InsideOut Concerts welcomed adult guests, after usually having an audience of children from Massapequa Public Schools and outside communities.

The performance, led by music director and conductor David Bernard, featured an interactive experience between the orchestra, Bernard and the audience, who had the unique opportunity of sitting alongside the instrumentalists instead of the typical seating area in the house of a theater.

“This is an experience,” Bernard said. “You’re not just here to listen to Beethoven’s music, you’re here to participate in it. Here, you’re able to see everything that goes on in an orchestra. You’re going to see it being made and feel it in a way you haven’t before.”

Throughout the concert, Bernard invited guests to be immersed in the musical journey, frequently asking questions about their thoughts and emotions in between small pieces of the four movements in Beethoven’s No. 5 Symphony.

The show opened with an introduction of each section of the orchestra, presenting dozens of musicians who played in the string, wind and brass sections.

Though Bernard acknowledged that many guests may not know much about classical music and Beethoven’s works, he assured the audience “You know everything that you need to know to enjoy this today,” Bernard said. “Everything else I will bring to you. Everything is here in this room. You are perfectly equipped to enjoy this day.”

The concert also marked Bernard’s return to the temple at which he was bar mitzvahed at age 13 under the guidance of Rabbi Robert Widom, who reunited with his student at the concert.

For over 38 years, the Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra has been Long Island’s premier orchestra, showing world-class soloists and working closely with Nassau County Museum of Art and Massapequa Public Schools.

“I felt very emotional,” oboe player Henry Mulligan said. “I think it’s because how much getting to play again means to me. There were parts of my life where I was moving state-to-state and I was dropping jobs. Most of the orchestras that I played for were short-term, but Bernard asked me to come regularly, which no one has really asked me in a long time. With the audience right here, it’s almost like I’m feeling it all over again.”

For many attendees, the experience was nothing short of transformative.

Beethoven’s No. 5 symphony is known for his “angular sound,” as Bernard described it. He noted that the symphony has a distinctive way of pausing throughout the piece, keeping the listener guessing what will happen next.

While seated among the musicians, each instrument of the orchestra sounded as if they were having a conversation, repeatedly playing the infamous classical motif “Da-Da-Da-Dum” back and forth amongst each other.

While listening to the excerpts presented from each of the four movements of the symphony, one member from the audience commented “It felt like when you’re attending service at synagogue. As the music was playing, I was woken up and put to sleep over and over again.”

“It’s thrilling as a musician to have immediate feedback,” president of the Massapequa Philharmonic and instrumentalist Jennifer Trested said. “The piece ends and then people turn to you and tell you how they feel and you don’t have that when you’re playing in a traditional orchestra because the audience is out there.”

“The experience of being in an orchestra, having 80 people making music around you is amazing,” Bernard said. “If you haven’t done this, you’re missing out on something really spectacular. You don’t even have to know anything about classical music.”