Empire State Youth Orchestra

Empire State Youth Orchestras (ESYO) is an ensemble of classical music performing groups aimed at providing talented young musicians with an opportunity to participate in group ensembles with other similar musicians. Based in the Capital Region of upstate New York, ESYO ensembles are composed of a total of approximately 300 talented and musically advanced high- and middle-school students from New York and western New England. The most advanced group, the Youth Orchestra, is considered one of the premier youth orchestras in the United States, and regularly performs concerts at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Ozawa Hall at the Tanglewood Music Center, and Carnegie Hall and in New York City.

History

In 1979, Barry Richman founded ESYO, consisting of a single orchestra, known as the "Youth Orchestra." Along with two colleagues, Lois Lyman and Eleanor Barnes, Richman brought together a group of parents and music educators. Together they organized an orchestra for some of the talented young musicians throughout the Capital Region. The Empire State Junior Orchestra was added in 1981 for middle-school aged students, and over time, additional ensembles were added to allow even more young people to participate. Today's ESYO consists of nine performing ensembles including over 300 musicians: two full orchestras, a wind orchestra, a string ensemble, two jazz ensembles, and three percussion ensembles.^[1]

Ensembles

ESYO is composed of nine ensembles:^[2]

• Empire State Youth Orchestra - Helen Cha-Pyo, Conductor
• Empire State Repertory Orchestra - David Beck, Conductor
• Empire State Wind Orchestra - Robert Hansbrough, Conductor
• Empire State String Ensemble - Joseph Gumpper, Conductor
• Empire State Youth Jazz Ensemble - Paul Evoskevich, Conductor
• Empire State Repertory Jazz Ensemble - Matthew C. Cremisio, Conductor
• Empire State Youth Percussion Ensemble - Richard Albagli and Mark Foster, Co-Conductors
• Empire State Repertory Percussion Ensemble - Richard Albagli and John Antonio, Co-Conductors
• Empire State Junior Percussion Ensemble - Genoveffa Vitale, Conductor

Programming

The Youth Orchestra is well known for its 30+ year participation in CBS 6’s Melodies of Christmas (benefit concerts for the Melodies Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at the Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center).^[3] ESYO’s ensembles also give approximately 30 public performances a year. ESYO reaches out to the community with an annual free concert for senior citizens, concerts for young people, recitals in nursing homes, and performances at public events. In addition, the ensembles perform an annual "Playathon" fundraiser at Crossgates Mall in which they play for the entire day.^[4]

In May 2010, the Youth Orchestra performed for the first time at EMPAC at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the grand finale concert of the Albany Symphony Orchestra's American Music Festival. Other ESYO ensembles routinely perform at the Massry Center for the Arts, The College of Saint Rose, as well as at area high schools. The Repertory Orchestra routinely performs with Albany Pro Musica at its annual High School Choral Festival.

In June 2011, ESYO won 2nd prize for Adventurous Programming (Youth Division) from ASCAP (American Society of Composer, Authors, and Publishers).^[5] The award was presented to Music Director Helen Cha-Pyo at the League of American Orchestra's annual conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was the 3rd ASCAP award for ESYO; in June 2008, ESYO received 1st prize for Adventurous Programming (Youth Division) and the rarely presented Award for American Programming on Foreign Tours.^[6]

Touring

The Youth Orchestra embarked on a fifth international tour in the summer of 2012 after accepting an invitation to perform at the 2012 World Expo in Yeosu, South Korea. The orchestra also gave concerts in Beijing, Shanghai, and Seoul.^[7] Previous tours included traveling to Austria and Hungary in 1989, to Spain in 1994, to Germany and the Czech Republic in 2000, and to Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria in 2008.

The 2008 tour was particularly distinguished as the Youth Orchestra premiered American composer Samuel Adler's piece "A Bridge to Understanding" with Dr. Adler accompanying the orchestra on tour. "A Bridge to Understanding" was commissioned by ESYO for its Youth Orchestra to perform in a festival of new music in March 2008. During that festival, ESYO ensembles premiered nine pieces - one commissioned for each of ESYO's performing ensembles. The festival was funded in part by a $100,000 grant from New York State Music Fund at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.^[8]

Outreach

In addition to its performing groups, ESYO has an outreach program of instrumental instruction for inner-city youth in Albany and Schenectady, New York.^[9] Known as the City Instruments Training Program, there are 3 components: a string program in Albany; a brass program in Albany (starting fall 2011); and a string program in Schenectady. City Instruments provides free, private, weekly music lessons in school for students selected for the program. The goal of City Instruments is for the students to improve enough to successfully audition for ESYO ensembles. This aligns with ESYO's mission of educating young people and instilling a lifelong appreciation for music as well as reaching diverse audiences. This program is entirely funded by donations and grants.

References

External links

• Official site