Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra Performs Tonight at Carnegie Hall

The Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO) will present a concert program at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City tonight, June 13 at 8 p.m. The CSYO, which is comprised of high school student musicians representing high schools from across the Tri- State, will experience a tour that most musicians only dream about culminating in the performance in the famous venue. The students will perform an unusual lineup of repertoire with CSYO Conductor (and CSO Assistant Conductor) William White.

The program begins with Agitato from The Story of an Unknown Actor Suite by 20th century Russian composer Alfred Schnittke. Next are selections from a popular work by another famous Russian, Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, which the CSYO also performed during the CSO/CSYO Side-by-Side concert at Music Hall in May. Prokofiev is followed by another Schnittke work, (k)ein Sommernachtstraum, which translates to "(not) a Midsummer Night's Dream." Mr. White notes a theatrical theme runs through these first three works, with two of Shakespeare's beloved plays represented as well as The Story of an Unknown Actor, a Soviet film that tells the story of a struggling thespian living in the provinces trying to make his living on the stage.

"One thing that I love about this program is that it shows off our orchestra to best advantage and it also shows off several individual students as soloists-sometimes playing more than one instrument! Over the course of the concert, we'll have a bass player playing piano, a bassoonist playing harpsichord, and a trombonist playing chimes," said Mr. White.

The program concludes with Mr. White's own composition, Symphonic Essay No. 3. Conducting a youth orchestra comes with unique privileges and learning experiences for a composer. "[O]ver the past four years, I've been able to use the CSYO as a workshop for a number of my own compositions, and my students have become my collaborators in developing and refining my voice as an orchestral composer. The fact that we're capping off the Carnegie program with one of my own compositions-which I composed specifically with these students in mind-is as rewarding an experience as I can possibly imagine," he said. After an intermission, the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra will close out the evening's entertainment with Maestro Peter Stafford Wilson and works by Brahms and Stravinsky, as well as Lowell Liebermann's gorgeous "Nocturne."

While performing in Carnegie Hall is certainly the highlight of the trip, the students will find time for a New York Philharmonic concert, a Broadway show, a workshop with a staff conductor of the New York Philharmonic, and several visits to museums and tourist stops while in the Big Apple.

This concert is open to the public. Tickets are just $25 and are available at the door at Carnegie Hall or at carnegiehall.org.

The Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO), under the direction of CSO Assistant Conductor William C. White, is made up of students in grades 9-12 who represent over 30 high schools in southwestern Ohio, southeastern Indiana, and northern Kentucky.

Founded in 1964 by former CSO Music Director Max Rudolf and area music educators, the CSYO is dedicated to the cultivation of talent and provides outstanding young instrumentalists the opportunity to perform repertoire not normally available through their school music programs.

Students attend weekly rehearsals at the College-Conservatory of Music, are invited to attend CSO concerts at Music Hall, study with CSO musicians in sectionals held several times throughout the season, and give concert performances, often with peer soloists chosen through the CSYO Concerto Competition. An annual highlight of the season is the CSO/CSYO Side-by-Side Concert performed at Music Hall.

A special contribution of the Multicultural Awareness Council to the CSO is the establishment of the Norman E. Johns Chair in the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra. This award is made to a talented minority student to cover the cost of participation in the CSYO. Students must first be accepted into the orchestra by means of the regular audition process in the fall; once accepted, students may choose to audition before a panel of judges for the award.

Additionally, the CSYO presents the Josephine I. and David J. Joseph, Jr. Scholarship each year at its Memorial Day Concert. Since 1991, the scholarship has been awarded to a senior student who has been a winner of the CSYO Concerto Competition and who plans to pursue a career in music.

William White, conductor, is currently in his fourth season as Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO); he is also Music Director and Conductor of Cincinnati's Seven Hills Sinfonietta. Mr. White holds degrees from Indiana University and the University of Chicago, and has long-standing associations with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (as a guest lecturer) as well as the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Hancock, ME (as Conducting Associate.)

Mr. White maintains a significant career as a composer and arranger, having recently composed scores for the films Cold Turkey (starring Peter Bogdanovich) and Mulligan and the theme music to WVXU's "Cincinnati Edition". His upcoming projects include an orchestral work celebrating the CSYO's 50th season as well as a percussion concerto.