 Concert this Sunday Free for Ages 18 & Under
The American Youth String Ensemble (AYSE), with Conductor Laura Cahn, and the American Youth Philharmonic (AYP), with Guest Conductor Kenneth Woods, open the season with a free concert for ages 18 and under. "Music from Books & the Big Screen" takes place this Sunday, November 3, 2:00 p.m. at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center of Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia. To enhance the educational experience, there will be an instrument petting zoo at intermission, where audience members of all ages can learn about the orchestral instruments played on stage.
AYSE repertoire includes the "Wedding March" from A Midsummer Night's Dream by Mendelssohn (arr. Ryden), Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by Bricusse and Newley (arr. Longfield), "Bella's Lullaby" from Twilight by Burwell (arr. Wilson), Highlights from Harry Potter by Williams (arr. Story) and The Red Pony by Copland (arr. Morales).
"We are so excited to be performing many of the familiar tunes from the big screen but the highlight of this program has really been The Red Pony," said conductor Laura Cahn. "It has been the most technically challenging piece on the program and the musicians are really invested in making it sound great. I am really looking forward to the audience's reaction to our performance. I love watching children fall in love with music for the first time, and this program should magnify that experience on a grand scale."
AYSE offers strings musicians the fundamentals of ensemble playing as a gateway to orchestral performance. The ensemble introduces musicians to the basic skills needed for ensemble playing, with a focus on the relationship between the various string parts, accurate rhythm and tempi, tone color, and orchestral procedure.
"I have noticed that many of the [AYSE] musicians have made friends with their peers and seem to really enjoy playing together," said Cahn. "I realize that this is only the beginning of the year but I hope that the relationships being developed will help to cultivate a deeper joy of music making that should be apparent in our performances."
AYP welcomes to the stage guest conductor Kenneth Woods, performing the Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront by Bernstein and Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 43 by Sibelius.
"Both pieces are dynamic, beautiful, exciting, and challenging in their own way," said Principal Conductor Christopher Zimmerman. "The contrast between the pieces is something both challenging and compelling to the musicians. Because of its breadth and scope (40 minutes and a major landmark in 20th century Symphonic writing), I suppose that the Sibelius is the highlight piece. However, the Bernstein is a substantial symphonic tour-de-force!"
AYP is a full symphonic orchestra consisting of the most accomplished young musicians in the area who perform demanding standard orchestral literature as well as newly composed works. Throughout its history, the orchestra has received wide critical acclaim for its professional sound and mature interpretation in performances at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Constitution Hall, the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, George Mason University Center for the Arts, George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium; and in tours to the Aberdeen International Youth Festival (Scotland), British Festival of Youth Orchestras, Festival of Youth Orchestras (Chicago, Washington D.C.), the Spoleto Festival (South Carolina) and the International Rachmaninoff Festival (Russia). AYP has collaborated with the Master Chorale of Washington, Virginia Ballet Company, Oratorio Society of Washington, Fairfax Choral Society, Reston Chorale, Washington Performing Arts Society and numerous renowned soloists, including pianist Horacio Gutierrez, trumpet virtuoso Arturo Sandoval, guitarist Manuel Barrueco, pianist Sara Wolfensohn, clarinettist Paquito D'Rivera and guest conductor Leonard Slatkin.
Tickets are free for ages 18 and under, free for music teachers, $20 for general admission, $10 for seniors (65+), and $10 for college students. Tickets will be available at the door and no reservations are necessary for free tickets. This concert is generously sponsored by the Corina Higginson Trust. For concert details visit www.aypo.org/events.
About the Guest Artist: Hailed by the Washington Post as a "true star" of the podium, conductor, cellist and author Kenneth Woods has worked with many orchestras of international distinction including the National Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Northern Sinfonia, and the State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared on the stages of some of the world's leading music festivals, including Aspen, Lucerne, Round Top and Scotia. His work on the concert platform and in the recording studio has led to numerous broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, National Public Radio, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In 2009, Kenneth Woods was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the internationally renowned chamber orchestra in Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, Orchestra of the Swan. [ Complete Biography]
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