In a show of strength reflective of its growing presence on South Australia's orchestral music calendar, Adelaide Youth Orchestras 2014 Season will be its largest ever, with more community concerts and a collaboration of 'titanic' proportions with the Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra.
Officially launched today (Thurs December 12), the Season 2014 program - including performances by the Adelaide Youth Orchestra (AdYO), Adelaide Youth Wind Orchestra (AdYWO), Adelaide Youth Sinfonia (AdSI) and the Adelaide Youth Strings (AYS) - comprises 17 public concerts at 12 venues in and around Adelaide.
Returning for 2014 will be AdYO's popular Maestro Series, of which the Maestro Series 2 Titan concert will be the centrepiece. Teaming AdYO for the first time ever with the 65-piece Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra (ECSO) for two performances at Elder Hall (Sat June 14 & Sun June 15), Maestro Series 2 will see these musical powerhouses combine on stage to present three inspiring and dramatic works: the SA premiere of Graeme Koehne's Suite from 1914, Weber's joyous Clarinet Concertino and Mahler's grandiose and lyrical, Symphony No 1 Titan.
"ECSO consists of mainly full-time students within Elder Conservatorium's music programs and bringing these gifted musicians together with our own talented AdYO players - who range in age from 12 to 25 - will be a wonderful experience for everyone," says Adelaide Youth Orchestras' Artistic Director, Associate Professor Keith Crellin OAM. "Mahler's Titan is the perfect piece to convey the strength of this collaboration which illustrates once again, Adelaide Youth Orchestras' commitment to providing its young musicians with wide-ranging orchestral experiences."
Thanks to sell-out suburban performances over the past two years, Season 2014 sees Adelaide Youth Orchestras increase its activity outside the Adelaide CBD - with concerts in Marion, Golden Grove and Woodville.
"Engaging with new audiences, performing outside traditional city-based concert halls and strengthening our relationships with local councils and the greater Adelaide community are all on-going priorities," says Adelaide Youth Orchestras' General Manager, Christopher Wainwright. "I like to think we're pioneers among youth music organisations in Australia in our quest to initiate collaborations which allow us to provide unique concert experiences."
These include AYS' free Community Concert at Marion Culture Centre (Sun March 23) and a brand new performance project - Celebrating Children's Stories at Woodville Town Hall (Sun August 10). This gold-coin donation performance sees AdSI and actor Bronwen James present a concert of music and songs associated with much-loved nursery rhymes and children's stories. Additionally, the Senior Heroes Concert Series will be back in 2014, with private recitals by either the AYS, soloists or chamber musicians scheduled at 10 residential care facilities throughout Adelaide - providing people who may have mobility issues with the chance to enjoy a live orchestral experience.
Also returning in 2014 is the annual Youth Revolution Gala Concert at the Adelaide Town Hall (Sun August 31), featuring 220 musicians and all four orchestras, and the delightful Babies Proms (Sun October 26) concerts, designed to introduce newborns and toddlers to the magical world of classical music.
For additional details and the full 2014 Season brochure, please visit www.adyo.com.au.
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