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"Suite Serenade" Concert this Sunday in Arlington
The American Youth Concert Orchestra (AYCO), with conductor Kathy Thompson, and the American Youth Symphonic Orchestra (AYSO), with conductor Carl J. Bianchi, hold their first concert of the season with "Suite Serenade" on Sunday, December 8, 3:00 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center of Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Virginia. Tickets are free for music teachers, free for ages 5 and under, $10 for students (including college with I.D.), $10 for seniors (65+), and $20 for adults. For concert details visit www.aypo.org/events.
"I am thrilled to be conducting my first concert with AYCO," said Kathy Thompson. "This is a terrific group of kids with tons of talent and great motivation. The four selections have allowed us to work on a number of orchestral skills and techniques. Our first piece, the Overture to Coriolan, has served as an excellent introduction to the challenges of performing Beethoven. Andalucía Suite is a beautiful Cuban melody by Lecuona that has helped musicians learn the concepts of shaping melodic lines and balancing string and wind sections. The very familiar and exciting Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Brahms and Russian Sailor's Dance by Gličre (arr. Isaac) have been especially helpful in teaching the ensemble to follow well and listen to one another. I hope the audience enjoys this performance as much as we do!"
AYCO is a symphonic training orchestra with the goal of enhancing ensemble playing and musicality through performance of symphonic arrangements from full symphonic repertoire. Participation in this orchestra is often the musician's first symphonic experience. Basic technique and artistic vocabulary is reinforced during sectional rehearsals. AYCO provides an opportunity for musicians to continue developing the ensemble skills needed to advance to standard symphonic literature.
AYSO repertoire features Overture to Nabucco (Verdi) and Symphony No. 9 in E minor, op. 95 (Dvorák). AYSO is an orchestra for advanced musicians who want to perform challenging repertoire and develop their musicianship. The repertoire for this orchestra is from the standard symphonic literature. AYSO has performed at the National Building Museum, George Mason University Center for the Arts, and the Eastman School of music. The orchestra has participated in the Imagination Celebration at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the City of Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts Festival, and the Festival of Youth Orchestras at Howard University.
Upcoming Event: AYPO Chamber Ensembles perform on Millennium Stage on December 15, 6:00 p.m. at the Kennedy Center. Free and open to the public! [Details]
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