Amanda Armstrong

Sara Cramer

Orchestra Manager

bayyouthorchestras@gmail.com

J. Aaron Hardwick

Christina Morton

Brad Shedd

Sarah Ford, President

Jeff Phelps, Vice President

Susan Newman, Treasurer

Marquetta Jones

Brian Smith

Kecia Yeates 

Muriel Evory

Janet Kriner

Martin Barritt

Melanie Belongia

Dionne Wright

Auditions are scheduled for August 24, September 23 and September 30. CLICK HERE to audition!

Our Current Needs:

E Flat Clarinet

Piccolo

Mrs. Cindy Cho is the new Assistant Orchestra Manager of the Lower Ensembles. She has been known

as the "Flower Lady," while volunteering for the Bay Youth Orchestras of Virginia for the last 4 years.

Her career includes working as an assistant manager at a travel agency for over 5 years and a language

 

This season BYOV is exploring the correlation, interconnectedness, and inspiration of Art and Music. It

is very interesting to ponder how music and art have inspired each other throughout history. At many points in history, they have evolved together to produce a common representation of thought, style, and expression. During this concert season, we are exploring the many ways in which music and art collaborate to produce an end product with a broader and more meaningful impact.

We are starting the season on November 26, 2013, with the most obvious piece in which art inspired music: Pictures at an Exhibition composed by Modest Mussorgsky for piano and orchestrated by Maurice Ravel. Mussorgsky wrote "Pictures" to honor his artist and architect friend Viktor Hartmann.

Mussorgsky's reoccurring Promenade theme walks us through the many art works of Hartmann. Mussorgsky depicts Hartmann's scenes of a gnome, an old castle, a busy marketplace, a Russian witch (Baba-Yaga) and The Great Gate of Kiev.

Throughout the history of music and art, we see the two art forms evolving together. The Baroque period from (1600-1750) is a title used for both music and art. Favorite compositions by Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel, with very ornamental melodies and complex styles, correspond to the architecture and paintings of the time, which are also very ornamental and fluid in style as in Rococo architecture and Rembrandt paintings. French Impressionism (19th century) correlates directly in music and art with musicians such as Debussy, Ravel, and Faure showing in musical sound what Monet, Cezanne, and Renoir displayed on the canvas. Painters in this period were breaking down the images into fragments of light and color and their brushstrokes created the appearance of abstracted images. Composers moved away from the strict forms and harmony of the Baroque and Classical style and created feelings through waves of dynamics and tonal colors. Ravel expertly orchestrated Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition in this way using instrumentation as his color and brushstrokes. We will also be hearing our String Orchestra perform the beautiful and delicate Pavane by Faure, also from this period.

How can music inspire art? There are many exciting examples. Jackson Pollack, abstract expressionist known for his drip paintings, was influenced by Dizzy Gillespie's Be-Bop Jazz style. Shepard Fairey, graphic designer and illustrator known for his Obama "HOPE" poster also created album covers for Smashing Pumpkins and Black Eyed Peas.

We have two wonderful personal BYOV examples! A few years ago, artist and Concert Orchestra parent, Kim Ross wanted to create a work of art to honor the wonderful musical work that BYOV does for the youth of Hampton Roads. She created a beautiful pastel work based on pictures of our students playing their instruments. This pastel will anchor the upcoming art auction at our opening concert. BYOV INSPIRES ART!!!

In December, the Virginia Children's Chorus and the Bay Youth Symphony will collaborate on a multi art work called The Gift of the Magi. O. Henry wrote this heartwarming story. The illustrated version by Lisbeth Zwerger compelled Carol Thomas Downing (Music Director of VCC) to commission Adolphus Hailstork (ODU Professor and Internationally known composer)to write music for Children's Chorus, Chamber Orchestra and Dance Company. This version was premiered in December, 2009, by VCC, Virginia Symphony, and Todd Rosenlieb Dance. Carol Downing and Adolphus Hailstork have worked very hard this summer to create a narrated version that we will be premiering on Sunday, December 22, 2013, at Roper Theater in Norfolk. This work has become very dear to me. It is such an emotional story and Hailstork's music fits so well with the feelings of love and sacrifice. We hope to be able to display the art work from the book by Lisbeth Zwerger during the performance as well.

Musicians and artists have been working together and sharing inspiration throughout history. All of the music that our conductors have chosen for this year are either directly related to art, opera, or will paint a picture in your mind. This is why art and music is so important in our lives. It encourages all the parts of our brain to connect to help us experience things more fully and look at things in many different directions and through a widened perspective. I will close with a quote from a famous artist.

"Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another purposely, to cause vibrations in the soul." - Vasily Kandinsky, The Effect of Color, 1911

Thanks to neighbor and artist Knox Garvin for helping me gather art references.