The Owensboro Symphony Youth and String Orchestras will begin their 50th season with their first rehearsals on Monday, August 26, 2019. The Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Tom Stites and the String Orchestra under the direction of Wade Wiggins, are an integral part of the Owensboro Symphony’s education and community engagement efforts.
The mission of the Owensboro Symphony Youth program is to provide talented young musicians from the region with challenging rehearsal and performance experiences in professional settings. The program emphasizes the performance of traditional orchestral literature under the leadership of professional musicians. These youth programs provide specialized training to nearly 100 talented young musicians each year, some of whom go on to join leading American symphony orchestras. In addition, several adults and college students who wish to continue their career as instrumentalists also rehearse and perform in the orchestra training program.
Celebrating the 50th season of the OSYO, there are plans to perform in Atlanta Symphony Hall in the spring of 2020. The three day itinerary includes a concert performance with outstanding literature, the opportunity to hear the Atlanta Symphony perform Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” and enjoy the great fun of being in Atlanta.
YOUTH ORCHESTRA AUDITIONS
Auditions are on two Saturdays in August this year, the 17th and 24th from Noon until 4 p.m. Perform two major scales and a chromatic scale of your choice, along with two short prepared pieces of your choosing. There will also be a brief sight-reading example. Your school music teacher or private teacher can help you find something that best shows off your abilities.
Contact Conductor Tom Stites at [email protected] to arrange your audition or to ask any questions.
Audition times are reserved in 10-minute slots.
STRING ORCHESTRA MEMBERSHIP
No audition is required for membership in the String Orchestra. A student interested in joining the String Orchestra must have a recommendation from their school orchestra director or private teacher – if no school program exists in their school. It is preferred that a student have a minimum of two years of training before joining the String Orchestra. A student interested in joining the String Orchestra should have their recommendations for membership sent to Greg Olson at [email protected].