Winter Concert Shows Off Musically Mature Youngsters
By Bill Peters
Published: Monday, December 14th, 2009
Solid Playing by Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra
For the past 37 years the Pasadena Symphony Association has sponsored a youth orchestra, the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra and its training ground for younger players, the Wind Ensemble and the String Orchestra. Over the years the senior orchestra has garnered awards at numerous competitions and performances and has come to be recognized as one of the finest youth orchestras in Southern California. Based on its concert last Tuesday night at Pasadena High School, the group has reached an even higher plateau.
The Wind Ensemble with students from grade six to nine is conducted by Ria Kubota; the String Orchestra, also training students from grade six to nine is led by Anna Lim; the senior group of high school age students, the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra, is conducted by Jack Taylor.
At its Winter Concert, the Wind Ensemble opened the program with “Black Forest Overture, a piece by Michael Sweeney, a young man studying for his Masters in Music composition at Indiana University. That was followed by “In Beak Midwinter” by Gustav Holst and “Crusade” by Vince Gassi, a Canadian composer and educator. Each number received a smooth reading that echoed the rather somber numbers. Ria Kubota held her student’s attention throughout and the students delivered for the music educator . Kubota is in her sixth year with the PYSO.
The String Orchestra opened with “Small Overture” by Mathews, “Santa at the Symphony” by Mark Williams and the “Hallelujah” Chorus from Handel’s “Messiah” as arranged for student orchestra by Southern California composer Soon Hee Newbold. The 55-member String Orchestra under Anna Lim’s baton were exacting and serious but retained the humor of “Santa at the Symphony” which could just as well be called “Eine Kleine Jingle Bells” for its inclusion of famous symphony themes and traditional songs and favorite carols.
Taylor, now in his sixth year as Music Director of the Pasadena Symphony Youth Orchestra, continued his practice of pushing his young musicians musically with a program that included works by Nicholas Rimsky-Korsakov, Claude Debussy, Giocmo Puccini, and Antonin Dvorak. Taylor led the group in the lively “Procession of the Nobles” from “Mlada” by Rimsky-Korsakov, the musical “Petite Suite” by Debussy, produced excellent ensemble playing in “I Crisantemi” (“The Chrysanthemums”) by Puccini, and kept his 86-member orchestra both controlled and measured in the Slavonic Dance No. 8 by Dvorak. Taylor went for a quality sound and he got it from his orchestra.
Taylor acknowledged the work of staff and coaches for their assistance with the student-orchestra. Taylor thanked sectional coaches Cheryl Scheidemantle, violin coach; Alex Chu, viola coach; Ryan Sweeney, cello coach; Stephen Pfeifer, bass coach; David Miller, wind coach; James Arnwine, brass coach; and Jon Earsly, percussion coach for their dedicated work.
Clay Campbell was introduced by the Pasadena Symphony Association’s CEO, Paul Jan Zdunek, as the newly appointed Director of Education and Community Engagement, replacing Jerri Price who has moved from the area.
According to Taylor, the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra program serves some 170 students who come from over 50 area schools. The PYSO’s next concert will be held on Jan. 30, 2010 and will present Blue Steel, a rock-band ensemble that is part of the U.S. Air Force Academy Band in Colorado Springs, Co. That concert will also be at the Pasadena High School Auditorium as was their Winter concert.
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