The Youth Orchestras of Central Virginia is playing challenging repertoire that’s honed in what the organization’s executive director calls “a safe and exciting place to create with your peers.”
The organization, now in its 44th season, will bring two ensembles to the stage for Orchestra Night at 7:15 p.m. Monday at Martin Luther King Jr. Performing Arts Center — the intermediate Rita M. Evans Orchestra and the advanced Youth Symphony. It continues to offer local young instrumentalists opportunities to grow as musicians — and as people.
“You can work in something greater than yourself,” said Megan Gray, executive director. “Chamber music is often about life skills — teamwork, collaboration, listening, compassion.”
The Evans Orchestra has 48 members this season; the Youth Symphony has 43. Keep an eye out for some guest musicians sitting in.
Members of the Evans Orchestra will be performing “March Slav” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, “La Rejouissance” from George F. Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks” and “Cumberland Cross” by Carl Stommen.
The Youth Symphony’s program will include Franz Schubert’s “Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished)” and ballet music from Charles Gounod’s “Faust.”
Alicia Tobin is the conductor of the Evans Orchestra; Michael Allen is assistant conductor. Foster Beyers is conductor of the Youth Symphony for the 2023-24 season, and James Tobin is assistant conductor.
Also under the Youth Orchestras umbrella are Junior Strings, which has about 20 players as young as 6, and Drum Club, which is in its third year of what Gray calls “access and creativity” at Boys & Girls Club’s Albemarle Campus Club.
“This is totally a flip of the hourglass in what you might think a youth orchestra would be doing,” Gray said of Drum Club.
Tickets for Monday’s concert are $8; seniors pay $5, and listeners ages 18 and younger get in for free.
And at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, the String and Wind Chamber Music program will be performing at University Village. That event is free, and everyone is welcome.
To learn more, go to https://yocva.org/.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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