Melbourne Youth Orchestras Celebrates 50 Years While Discovering New Worlds

This year Melbourne Youth Orchestras (MYO) celebrates a milestone fiftieth birthday with its premiere ensemble, Melbourne Youth Orchestra, presenting an exhilarating concert, New Worlds, at Melbourne Recital Centre on Sunday, 2 July 2017.

New Worlds features Dvo?ák's New World Symphony, Lovelock's Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, Glinka's Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla and a new commission by renowned Australian composer Graeme Koehne.

Directed by Melbourne Youth Orchestra Chief Conductor Steven Hillinger, the New Worlds concert opens with Glinka's Overture to opera Ruslan and Ludmilla, an energetic, vibrant and technically challenging work, followed by the world premiere of Koehne's Song of the Open Road, commissioned for Melbourne Youth Orchestra's fiftieth birthday with the support of the Australia Council for the Arts.

MYO Chief Executive Officer, DorIan Jones, explains that Song of the Open Road has been especially designed for youth orchestras and will be made available to Australian school orchestras following its premiere, "We've also been able to provide complimentary tickets for disadvantaged young people from ages 11 to 18 to attend New Worlds through the generous support of the Newsboys Foundation."

Featuring soloist and Melbourne Youth Orchestra alumnus Josh Rogan, New Worlds will continue with William Lovelock's dazzling Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra (originally written in 1968 for Australian trumpet player John Robertson).

After two years with Melbourne Youth Orchestra (2009 - 2011), Rogan has performed with internationally recognised ensembles, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and as Principal Brass of the New York Philharmonic.

"It's been eight years since my first performance with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra and I am now a very different musician - but I cannot wait to return as a guest soloist. William Lovelock's trumpet concerto seems appropriate to celebrate MYOs milestone - the piece is bursting with energy right from the beginning and there are so many moments of beauty and lyricism, which isn't always the case with a trumpet concerto," said Josh Rogan.

Closing the concert will be Dvo?ák's triumphant Symphony No. 9 From the New World, which incorporates influences from African-American spirituals and American landscapes, and also rhythms from Dvo?ák's native Bohemia.

Melbourne Youth Orchestra Chief Conductor Steven Hillinger highlights that the New World Symphony was chosen for Melbourne Youth Orchestra because it offers a unique challenge to the entire ensemble, "Hearing 70 young musicians at the beginning of their careers play this piece is an inspiring experience. Symbolically, Neil Armstrong chose to take a recording of this symphony with him to the moon in 1969."

Melbourne Youth Orchestras presents New Worlds

Date and time Sunday, 2 July 2017 at 2.30pm

Venue Melbourne Recital Centre, 31 Sturt Street, Southbank

Tickets $22 - $29 (booking fees apply)

Bookings 03 9699 3333 or melbournerecital.com.au

Information myo.org.au

Melbourne Youth Orchestras presents New Worlds

Chief Conductor Steven Hillinger

Performed by Melbourne Youth Orchestra

Glinka Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla

Koehne Song of the Open Road (World Premiere)

Lovelock Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra

Dvo?ák Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World'

Media spokespeople - New Worlds

Steven Hillinger - Melbourne Youth Orchestra Chief Conductor

Grame Koehne - Song of the Open Road composer

Josh Rogan - Melbourne Youth Orchestra Alumni and trumpet soloist

Sam Beagley - Melbourne Youth Orchestra Principal trumpet

Olympia Nelson - Melbourne Youth Orchestra Violin

Caleb Murray - Melbourne Youth Orchestra Principal Cello

Ruby Shirres - Melbourne Youth Orchestra PrincipAl Viola

DorIan Jones - MYO Chief Executive Officer

Melbourne Youth Orchestras

Melbourne Youth Orchestras (MYO) has been enriching young lives through the power of music since 1967. Offering music programs for young musicians aged 8 to 25, the orchestras featured in the MYO program includes nine ensembles:

Melbourne Youth Orchestra

Melbourne Youth Junior Strings

Alexandra Cameron Strings

Melbourne Youth Strings

Melbourne Youth Chamber Strings

Junior Concert Band

John Antill Youth Band

Melbourne Youth Wind Symphony

Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra

Melbourne Youth Orchestra

As the flagship orchestra for Melbourne Youth Orchestras (MYO), Melbourne Youth Orchestra is recognised as one of Australia's leading youth orchestras, with many members advancing to professional music careers. Established to mark the centenary of education in Victoria, Melbourne Youth Orchestra was created under the direction of Eric Austin Phillips as a 70-piece ensemble for young musicians aged 15 - 25.

Newsboys Ticket Bank

With the generous assistance of the Newsboys Foundation, Melbourne Youth Orchestras (MYO) is delighted to introduce the Newsboys Ticket Bank. Throughout 2017, one hundred tickets to each MYO concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre will be made available free of charge to young people aged 11 to 18 and their parents or guardians, upon proof of a relevant concession card*. This initiative removes barriers to participation and will allow young musicians and music lovers to enjoy superb classical repertoire in a world class performance venue.

Photo credit: Sarah Walker

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