Welcome to Wabash Youth Symphony!
The mission of WVYS is to provide a high-quality musical experience for qualified young musicians and to give them an opportunity to perform. This experience will be enriching and beneficial to the community at large.
WVYS seeks to provide Greater Lafayette with a much-needed resource. Despite an abundance of musically talented youth, there is little opportunity for orchestral or ensemble playing outside the realm of public schools. In fact, some local schools do not offer an orchestral program for students. The WVYS will provide opportunity, both for those who play in a school orchestra but want to explore a repertoire that is more demanding and fulfilling, and for those whose schools are currently without an orchestra. The Wabash Valley Youth Symphony offers this community the chance to fully nurture and enjoy the musical talents of its youth.
"Youth musicians close season with celebratory performance"
At this time of the year, many performing arts organizations offer their closing concerts of the current season. The Wabash Valley Youth Symphony did the same on Sunday evening at Long Center for the Performing Arts, and with the recognition of 18 graduating seniors, it was a festive concert with much to celebrate.
Conductor Zachary Carrenttin led the musicians through a challenging program and the youngsters came through splendidly, especially in the finale of Mendelssohn's "Symphony No. 5 in D major."
One of the highlights of the evening was the recognition of Jeffrey Boswell, a 41-year veteran of Lafayette School Corp.'s fine music program. Boswell has trained many hundreds of strings players over his career in addition to being a stalwart mentor and supporter of th youth symphony.
Opening with Ralph Vaughan-Williams' "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis," the orchestra first played the theme on which the work was based. Vaughan-Williams wrote many fine orchestral pieces that are included in his huge body of work. The "Fantasia" isn't one of them. The work is gloomy, overly long and misses a few good chances to stop.
But the main selection was another matter. Mendelssohn's "Reformation" Symphony with full orchestra was built on Martin Luther's majestic hymn "A Mighty Fortress," and the kids rose to the occasion handsomely. The addition of the brasses and woodwinds to the string energized the strings.
The youth symphony has enjoyed a fine season working through and playing well under Carrenttin's baton. Playing significant works of major composers is a chance for these young musicians to experience music that is often unavailable to those of tender age. Tippecanoe County is fortunate to retain teachers, mentors and music programs that deserve and receive, for the most part, encouragement from the often stretched administrative side. Let us hope that this continues and the musical beacon light shines on for years to come.
-- Dick Jaeger
Lafayette Journal and Courier Concert Review - 05/17/10
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* Monday, 5/17/10:
Thank you so much for a wonderful concert and a great season! You've all worked hard and made some exciting music together.
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The mission of WVYS is to provide a high-quality musical experience for qualified young musicians and to give them an opportunity to perform. This experience will be enriching and beneficial to the community at large.
WVYS seeks to provide Greater Lafayette with a much-needed resource. Despite an abundance of musically talented youth, there is little opportunity for orchestral or ensemble playing outside the realm of public schools. In fact, some local schools do not offer an orchestral program for students. The WVYS will provide opportunity, both for those who play in a school orchestra but want to explore a repertoire that is more demanding and fulfilling, and for those whose schools are currently without an orchestra. The Wabash Valley Youth Symphony offers this community the chance to fully nurture and enjoy the musical talents of its youth.
The youth symphony has enjoyed a fine season working through and playing well under Carrenttin's baton. Playing significant works of major composers is a chance for these young musicians to experience music that is often unavailable to those of tender age. Tippecanoe County is fortunate to retain teachers, mentors and music programs that deserve and receive, for the most part, encouragement from the often stretched administrative side. Let us hope that this continues and the musical beacon light shines on for years to come.
-- Dick Jaeger
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