(NEWARK, NJ) -- The NJSO Youth Orchestras present their annual spring concert on Sunday, May 7, at 4:00pm at Science Park High School in Newark. The event showcases all four of the student ensembles that comprise the NJSO’s youth-orchestra family—the Academy Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, String Ensemble and Training Ensemble.
The Academy Orchestra (AO) performs under the baton of NJSO Youth Orchestras Artistic Director Jeffrey Grogan, the NJSO’s Education & Community Engagement Conductor. AO will perform Dana Wilson’s Peaks, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian Easter Overture and the first movement of Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D Minor featuring Noel Cho, winner of the 2016–17 NJSO Youth Orchestras’ Henry Lewis Concerto Competition.
Cho, 14, is a freshman at Nutley High School and studies privately with Miho Weber. Held annually, the Henry Lewis Concerto Competition celebrates discipline, dedication and accomplishment by providing members of the Academy Orchestra—the NJSO Youth Orchestras’ top ensemble—with the opportunity to perform as soloists with AO.
The Chamber Orchestra (CO), led by conductor and NJSO violist Henry Kao, performs Britten’s Simple Symphony and Bartók’s Romanian Dances. The String Ensemble (SE), led by NJSO first violinist Naomi Youngstein, performs a suite of dances by Handel.
The Training Ensemble (TE)—one of the two programs that comprise the Music Advancement for Newark-area Youth (MANY) partnership between NJPAC and the NJSO—will perform Rossini’s William Tell Overture and Offenbach’s “Can-Can,” led by Grogan. Now in its third season, MANY is designed to provide students in the Newark area with high-quality instrumental music instruction and allows beginning and experienced students to study string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments with the goal of developing musical and instrumental proficiency while building leadership skills.
A pre-concert reception starts at 3 pm and is free for all ticketholders.
TICKETS
All tickets are $15 and are available for purchase by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476). Learn more at www.njsymphony.org/events/detail/njso-youth-orchestras-spring-concert.
NJSO YOUTH ORCHESTRAS
Part of the NJSO Academy
The NJSO Youth Orchestras give qualified middle- and high-school students—especially African-American and Latino youth in the Greater Newark area—unparalleled opportunities to achieve personal and musical excellence. Coaching by NJSO musicians and a supportive peer-to-peer environment provide quality learning and performing experiences and build a unique culture of collaboration. The achievements of this program and its impact on the lives of these young musicians have received national recognition from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
Four distinct ensembles—the Academy Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, String Ensemble and Training Ensemble—perform two full concerts each year and participate in masterclasses and workshops with renowned guest artists. In addition, the Training Ensemble offers joint instructional and performance opportunities with its sister program, the NJPAC Symphonic Band. Through this partnership (known as Music Advancement for Newark-area Youth, or MANY), the two organizations lay the foundation for students’ membership in their more advanced ensembles.
The NJSO Youth Orchestras annually serve more than 200 students from 11 counties across northern and central New Jersey.
Students who play orchestral instruments can apply for membership in the NJSO Youth Orchestras. Entrance auditions will take place on Saturday, June 10, at Rutgers–Newark’s Bradley Hall. For more information and to register for auditions, visit www.njsymphony.org/youthorchestras.
MUSIC ADVANCEMENT FOR NEWARK AREA YOUTH (MANY)
A partnership designed to provide students in the Newark area with high-quality instrumental music instruction
Initiated by two of New Jersey’s premier performing arts organizations—New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO)—MANY offers programs for beginning and experienced instrumental music students alike.
Participants study string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments to develop musical and instrumental proficiency while building leadership skills. MANY also aims to prepare young instrumentalists for acceptance into performance-based educational programs within the community, including the Arts High School Orchestra and Concert Band, Newark School of the Arts, NJPAC Brick City Jazz Orchestra, Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens program and NJSO Youth Orchestras.
Annually serving more than 100 students, MANY bridges two programs: the NJPAC Symphonic Band and the NJSO Training Ensemble. The NJPAC Symphonic Band, for grades 5–8, is designed for students with little or no prior instrumental experience and provides a musical foundation in woodwinds, brass and percussion. The NJSO Training Ensemble, for grades 5–10, provides intensive musical instruction and leadership development to advanced beginner and intermediate string students.
Lawrence Liggins directs the NJPAC Symphonic Band; Jeffrey Grogan directs the NJSO Training Ensemble.
NJSO ACADEMY
Through the education programs that comprise the NJSO Academy, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra provides intensive coaching and instruction for musicians of all ages. The lauded youth orchestra program, El Sistema-modeled NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project), NJSO Edward T. Cone Composition Institute, NJSO Coach-in-Residence Program and customized in-school clinics and master classes create participatory learning environments across the state that foster meaningful connections with live music.
For more information about the NJSO, visit www.njsymphony.org
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