M E D I A  A D V I S O R Y

May 11, 2016 – Richmond, Virginia We invite you to join us for two upcoming Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program (YOP) spring concerts. Concerts presented by YOP highlight some of the region’s top young musicians in which students from grades 2 to 12 make up four ensembles, ranging from beginner to advanced levels. The first concert will be held on Sunday, May 15 at 7pm and will feature the Youth Concert Orchestra led by Christopher Moseley, Camerata Strings led by Rebecca Jilcott, and String Sinfonietta led by Christie-Jo Adams.

The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra will close out the 2015-16 YOP Season with a concert on Tuesday, May 17 at 7pm. The concert will be led by Chia-Hsuan Lin and will feature the premiere of Laura Elise Schwendinger’s Animal Rhapsody, a piece commissioned by the Richmond Symphony. Additional pieces include Wagner’s Die Meistersinger Overture, Gounod’s Ballet Music from Faust, and Peter Schickele’s Bassoon Concerto featuring Noah Helm, winner of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition.

Both concerts will recognize the graduating seniors and will be followed by a reception in Rhythm Hall. YOP concerts are great for music-lovers of all ages and admission is free with no ticket required.

About Laura Elise Schwendinger,  composer
Music Alive: New Partnerships Composer-in-Residence

The Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program is sponsored by The WestRock Foundation.

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History of Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program

Richmond Symphony’s flagship educational program, founded in 1962, consists of four youth orchestras providing beginning to advanced musical training. As the premier orchestral training program of central Virginia, students participate in weekly rehearsals, coaching and masterclasses by Richmond Symphony musicians, chamber music performances, mentoring and other musical and social activities. The Youth Orchestra Program is open to elementary through high school students. Rehearsals are held every Tuesday afternoon September through May.

About the Richmond Symphony
Founded in 1957, the Richmond Symphony is the largest performing arts organization in Central Virginia. The organization includes an orchestra of more than 70 professional musicians, the 150-voice Richmond Symphony Chorus and more than 260 students in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra programs. Each season, more than 200,000 members of the community enjoy concerts, radio broadcasts, and educational outreach programs. The Richmond Symphony is partially funded by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. www.richmondsymphony.com