PYO Music Institute to Present Tune Up Philly Concert at Temple Performing Arts Center

Tune Up Philly (TUP), the community engagement program of PYO Music Institute (PYOMI), is bringing nine youth ensembles together to play a concert together. The performance will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 1 p.m. at The Temple Performing Arts Center, located at 1837 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA. There is no charge to attend. The concert will be conducted by TUP Director Paul Smith, a renowned composer, guitarist, and educator. TUP's nine partner sites are all located in underserved communities, where talented youth are engaged and united through music. The upcoming performance gives the students an opportunity to play in a professional concert hall with other young musicians from different neighborhoods, all driven by their love of music.

These young musicians will showcase their talents in a variety of large ensembles, playing a diverse selection of music from classical to contemporary. Smith explained the importance of the opportunity for the students: "Performing with other musicians in a real concert hall with professional-grade acoustics is a formative experience for young musicians. Also, the opportunity to play with different ensembles, different musicians, and different arrangements is crucial to musical development and growth. I'm thrilled to direct these talented musicians and look forward to presenting a beautiful concert to their family and friends in the audience."

This is a free event. For more information, please call 215-545-0502.

About PYO Music Institute:

The renowned PYO Music Institute, now in its 82nd season, is one of the nation's oldest and most respected community music education and youth orchestra performance programs. PYO Music Institute provides talented young musicians from across the tri-state area with exceptional musical training and is committed to supporting tomorrow's leaders. Its students go on to excel in many diverse fields and many become professional orchestral musicians, performing locally and all across the world. Many members of the prestigious Philadelphia Orchestra are proud alumni of PYO Music Institute.

The anchor group is the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), conducted by President and Music Director Louis Scaglione, featuring 125 gifted instrumentalists who range in age from 15-21. Young musicians 13-18 years old are featured in PYO's companion ensemble, the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra (PYAO), which is led by Director and Conductor Maestra Rosalind Erwin, who also serves as Music Director and Conductor of Drexel University Orchestra. Young Musicians Debut Orchestra (YMDO), directed by Maestro Kenneth Bean, is a beginning- to intermediate-level full symphonic orchestra featuring students aged 11-17 that often provides an introduction to large orchestral playing. Bravo Brass, directed by Curtis Institute of Music Dean, Paul Bryan, is an all-brass ensemble for promising middle and high-school instrumentalists. Prysm Strings and Prysm Strings Young Artists ensembles provide large string ensemble and sectional master class instruction for beginning and intermediate musicians ages 6-14. The director and conductor of Prysm Strings is Gloria dePasquale, cellist with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the conductor of Prysm Strings Young Artists is Andrea Weber. Tune Up Philly - Orchestral Pathways Program (TUP) is the PYO Music Institute's after-school music program, directed by Paul Smith. TUP focuses on creating and inspiring true community by providing children in under-resourced communities with opportunities to learn and perform a differentiated orchestral music curriculum. Paul Smith also directs the newest ensemble, Pizzicato Players, for 12 to 21-year-old student musicians. This ensemble was created to provide musical experience pathways in advanced and intermediate settings and to raise the profile for such plucked instruments as the Classical/Acoustic Guitar, Harp and "Folk" Harp, Mandolin, Lute and Theorbo.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, students participated in a range of virtual rehearsals and programs, enabling them to maintain their involvement and dedication to orchestral music. In-person rehearsals with the option for virtual participation returned in the spring of 2021, and students have returned to in-person rehearsals and performances for the 2021-2022 season.

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