Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies

Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies
Background information
Origin Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA

The Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) is a group of youth orchestras in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Founded in 1972, GTCYS has served over 16,000 musicians and put on more than 500 concerts. The top orchestra has also traveled on 12 national and international tours.[1] GTCYS currently features 6 orchestras for young musicians any age through high school.

GTCYS is a youth orchestra program based in Minneapolis that draws over 500 students from eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Artistic director is Mark Russell Smith, who also conducts the top orchestra.

Mission: In the conviction that music nourishes the mind, body, and spirit of the individual and enriches the community, the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies provides a rigorous and inspiring orchestral experience for young musicians.

History: Founded in 1972, GTCYS (pronounced “GIT-seez”) was created to provide an educational orchestra program for motivated music students from throughout the metropolitan area. Since then, GTCYS has served more than 16,000 students, honing their musical talents and developing lifelong values such as excellence, teamwork, discipline, and community engagement. With year-round opportunities for beginning to advanced musicians, GTCYS’ programming is inclusive, rigorous and comprehensive, and is designed to help young people achieve their full potential.GTCYS provides a supportive yet challenging atmosphere in which young musicians of all ages and abilities can aspire to the highest levels of musical proficiency, learn from the masters of our time and perform in prestigious concert halls. Esteemed guest conductors have included Aaron Copland, Leonard Slatkin, Raymond Leppard, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Roberto Abbado, and Osmo Vänskä. GTCYS’ premier orchestra, Symphony, has appeared at the famous Schools Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and has toured the globe from the British Isles to Asia, Central America, the former Soviet Union and the South Pacific, where GTCYS’ 1992 Fiji performance marked the first appearance by a western orchestra in that island nation.GTCYS holds a treasured place in the Minnesota arts and cultural landscape, and has appeared at some of Minnesota’s most memorable events, including performing the National Anthem at the 1983 opening celebration for the Metrodome, and a 1991 Inauguration Day performance at the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda. Over the years, GTCYS has been honored by the Twin Cities Mayors’ Public Arts Award for “outstanding musical contributions to the community,” and an ASCAP award for creative programming. GTCYS’ artistic staff forges strong relationships with school orchestra programs and regional artistic partners to advance music education for young people in the Twin Cities. Since June 2011, GTCYS and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra have shared a unique strategic allianced aimed to strengthen both organizations and the community.

Orchestras

There are currently eight orchestras starting from the rudimentary level. All of the orchestras require an audition which will place the instrumentalist into an orchestra that meets their playing needs. The only exception are the two Summer Orchestras that play and meet during the Summer which do not require an audition. Halfway through the Fall/Spring semester there is a Winter Audition for students who wish to participate for the last half of the GTCYS year.

This orchestra is split between East and West locations for rehearsals and perform together during concerts. This orchestra does not have any Woodwind or brass instruments. Percussion is also excluded.

This orchestra involves the Brass, Percussion, and Woodwinds. The auditions are more difficult but you are basically guaranteed this placement for Winds and Percussion.

This orchestra involves the Brass, Percussion, and Woodwinds. The auditions now become more difficult and require harder audition pieces and more scales.

This orchestra involves the Brass, Percussion, and Woodwinds. The auditions now become slightly more difficult and require harder audition pieces and more scales.

The Top three Orchestras are Concert Orchestra (Benjamin Klemme), Philharmonic (Gary Wolfman), and Symphony (Mark Russell Smith). ALL orchestras include a full range of Brass, Woodwinds and Percussion and focus on more advanced music with a large range music from contemporary to the classics.

This orchestra is the lowest to regularly play unedited works for orchestra.

In this orchestra, students begin to tackle the more difficult works in the professional orchestral repertoire.

It has the most advanced set of music and players. This orchestra has the opportunity to travel internationally.

Concerts have been performed at notable venues in the Twin Cities such as Orchestra Hall and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. GTCYS orchestras have also performed around the world, in such venues as the Sydney Opera House. Symphony, the flagship orchestra, traveled to Spain during the spring of 2014 by invitation to the Granada International Festival of Music and Dance.

Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies

References

  1. ↑ The Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies

External links

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