The BYSO Blog!

A Nod to Audrey Chen

2011-03-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again; Time to announce the 2011 Concerto Competition Contest Winner!

The Concerto Competition is an annual contest the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO) hosts. Each year a young performer is selected to perform a solo piece with the Youth Symphony at the Masterworks Concert II. This year Audrey Chen, a freshman at Interlake High School, won the honor to perform her solo at this concert on Sunday, March 20th, 2011, at the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.

Four years ago Audrey began playing with BYSO in Sinfonia and within a year moved to the Youth Symphony. This year Audrey chose to play a piece that was not only close to her heart but popular amongst chamber music fans. The first movement of Dvorak's Cello Concerto in B-Minor and Audrey's years of practice won the hearts of the judges and lead her to this victory.

Audrey began playing piano at six and took up cello in the fourth grade with Mr. Kai Chen. Over the years Audrey has been a part of many orchestras and ensembles. Joseph Kempisty and Dr. Teresa Metzger Howe (the conductors of Sinfonia and the Youth Orchestra) have been huge inspirations. Through their guidance and her own discovery she has found that while practice makes perfect, "efficiency is better than quantity." She rehearses with BYSO every Monday evening for two hours and practices a maximum of two hours every other day. She uses a systematic method to practice, starting with scales to warm up and then tackling each piece section by section. If there is something she believes needs extra attention, she will practice that part again and again-even after she has perfected it, just to be safe.

Not only has Audrey shone in BYSO, but she also sits first chair in the Interlake Freshmen Orchestra. While it does increase her workload, she enjoys all of the opportunities that have opened up to her because of it. On top of winning the 2011 Concerto Competition her Chamber Group at Interlake (comprised of 4 BYSO string players and one pianist) was one of the top ten finalists for the KING FM Ten Grands Competition-the grand prize for which is performing at Beneroya Hall on April 1st, 2011. She also a participant of the All-Northwest Orchestra, a large group of dedicated and talented high-school musicians from the Pacific Northwest that performed last February.

Audrey acknowledges that her parents have been huge supporters of her musical career and are in agreement for her to continue in future years. As with many passions, she hopes to make it her life by majoring in music when she moves along to college. She has even considered a double major to allow her to continue to play. She plays, she listens, and she performs, and gives us all a taste of something lovely. Join us on March 20th to witness Audrey's talents on her new French Buthod cello loaned by the Carlsen Cello Foundation.

The Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit organization established to provide a positive and stimulating musical environment for students. BYSO uniquely complements and builds upon both school music programs and private instruction. BYSO encourages the development of musical skills and self-confidence, as participants in all ensembles rehearse orchestral literature which appropriately challenges their skills. For over 45 years our program has provided instrumental music experience to match the ability levels of talented youth from early elementary grades through their college years.

To purchase tickets to the March 20th Concert, please follow this link.

Valerie Doerffeld-All over the Puget Sound!

2011-02-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

Valerie Doerffeld, the conductor for our Debut Orchestra, has three upcoming performances this weekend. For almost a decade Valerie has been involved with BYSO and three years ago became a primary conductor. On the side she teaches private lessons, plays regularly with Northwest Sinfonietta, and is raising two children. From February 11-13th you have the opportunity to hear her beautiful music and show her your appreciation and support. Each performance will featur Rossini's La Scala di Seta, Overture, Firsova's "Freedom" Clarinet Concerto (world premiere), Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G Minor.

Friday, February 11th 7:30PM
Benaroya Hall, Seattle
Tickets from just $19!
1.886.833.4747 or
Buy Online

Saturday, February 12th 7:30PM
Rialto Theater, Tacoma
Tickets from just $19!
1.800.291.7593 or
Buy Online

Sunday, February 13th 5:00PM
Pioneer Park Pavilion, Puyallup
Tickets from $25 (cabaret seating)
1.800.838.3006 or
Buy Online

Really, what could be better?

Save the Date!

2011-02-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

Thursday, February 3rd, at 8PM our very own Brian Yarkowsky will be featured on 98.1 KING FM.

Brian has been a phenomenal coach for the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra percussion students for more than a year now and for more than three years Brian has been a member of the SMQ Percussion Quartet. Alongside three other talented percussionists, the group has created a uniqe arrangement of music displaying the versatility of percussion instruments. Now they will bring those lovely sounds to the ears of Seattle listeners on air. At 8PM tomorrow, Thursday the 3rd, you can hear their recording of Maurice Ravel's String Quartet in F Major Movement II: Assez vif - tres rythme. Either tune in or stream the station live by clicking here.
To attend future performances by the SMQ Percussion Quartet follow this link. And last but not least, for a sneak peak of their special sound and a tune we all know and love, take a listen:

Big round of applause for these four gentlement on such an accomplishment!

Want to Play a Solo at Beneroya Hall?

2011-01-26T10:14:00.000-08:00

KING FM has been a leader in Seattle's music community and a strong advocate of local arts for more than six decades. To kick off 2011 they are hosting a competition ideal for all of our talented young musicians between the ages of 6 and 18.

The Ten Grands Competition asks students who play acoustic instruments as well as ensembles (up to 6 people) to create a 5 minute maximum audition video and post it on YouTube. Originally these were due a few weeks ago but the deadline has been extended to February 1st, so there is still time left!

In mid-February the submissions will be reviewed and 20 finalists will be posted for the public to vote on. The top ten finalists will play at the Ten Grands Concert at Beneroya Hall. The grand prize winner will play a six minute solo on stage that evening.

If that isn't incentive enough, the grand prize winner will also recieve a $1,000 scholarship.

For more information about entering your own video, follow this link. To cast your own vote, check KING FM's website between February 7th and February 11th. Everyone is encouraged to participate-whether you are feeling brave or would like to lend your support to fellow musicians in the Seattle area.

Good luck and have fun!

2011-01-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King Day Rehearsal Monday, January 17th, 2011

Due to Monday's school closures all rehearsal times and locations have been changed. All students are required to bring their own music stand to this rehearsal only. Saturday rehearsals will be held as normal at Hammond Ashley on January 22nd. Please read below for your rehearsal time and location for this Monday:

Cadet, Premiere, and Flutes: NO REHEARSAL

Debut: 6:30-8:15
Sinfonia: 6:30-8:45PM

Lake Sammamish Foursquare Church
14434 NE 8th St
Bellevue, WA 98007

Please bring your own music stand to this rehearsal.

Youth: 6:15-8:45PM

Newport Presbyterian Church
4010 120th Ave SE
Bellevue, WA 98006

Please bring your own music stand to this rehearsal.

Please contact paige@byso.org or call (425) 467-5604 during office hours (10AM-4PM Monday-Friday) for questions and concerns.

BYSO and BPO Team Up

2011-01-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce our first concert of the year on Sunday, January 23rd at Meydenbauer Theater in downtown Bellevue. The most exciting aspect of this performance, aside from the recent addition of more than 40 new members to our six orchestras, is the coming together of Bellevue’s finest. Our own Youth Symphony is first up, then directly following us will be the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra featuring soloist Anastasia Solomatina playing Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra.

This union is the first of the century, joining the two largest eastside professional and non-professional symphonies. Both organizations were originally founded in the 60’s, BYSO in 1964 and BPO in 1967, and have been providing Washington State residents with beautiful music for over four decades. We encourage all BYSO families to attend this memorable occasion and support the arts in our community.

The first performance by our young musicians is free of charge to all BYSO families. To attend BPO’s 2 o’clock performance tickets are required but are available for 50% of the cost to the general public. Please call (425) 455-4171 to order your tickets at the discounted price. For those unfamiliar with Meydenbauer Theater, please follow this link for detailed directions and parking information. To sum it up:

Where: Meydenbauer Theater

111000 NE 6th St
Bellevue, WA 98004

When: Sunday January 23rd, 2011
BYSO at 1PM
BPO at 2PM

Ticket Prices:
BYSO: Free of Charge
BPO: Adults: $10
Students: $5

We Welcome Paige and Wish a Fond Farewell to Kimiko

2010-12-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

As 2010 is coming to a close, our beloved administrative assistant, Kimiko Goldberg, is moving on to tackle full-time graduate studies. We welcome Paige Spicer, our new administrative assistant who will lead us into 2011. A little about her:

"Music has been a large part of my life as far back as I can remember. My grandfather was the band director at WSU for 25 years, so all through my childhood I attended concert band and big band performances. Everyone on my father's side of the family played some kind of band instrument and it was presumed that I would follow in their footsteps.

I did play piano from ages 5-9, but when it came time to choose my instrument I surprised everyone by picking the violin. I proceeded to play for seven years until a muscular injury interefered with my ability to continue. In that time I also took drum lessons for 2 years and learned bass guitar with my dad. Since my involvement with music is now mostly limited to listening, I was very excited to become a part of this organization and increase my involvement in the community.

I was born and raised in Issaquah so I am very familiar with the area, though I recently moved to Seattle. I have three years of retail experience in Bellevue as well as a multitude of organizations I have volunteered for. Mainly I focused my time on mediating for the city of Bellevue as well as teaching crafts to children at the Bellevue Art Museum. I love working with people and need a creative outlet. In my free time I love to crochet, do bookbinding, take photographs, felt wool, and read.

I had the good fortune of being able to attend the Winter Wonderland concert on December 13th which only increased my excitement about the position. To all of those in Cadet, Debut, and Premiere, you're enthusiasm and skill is inspiring. I can't wait to hear all of the symphonies play and get to know each and every one of you.

I wish Kimiko the best in her studies and look forward to the coming year. Happy Holidays."

Our Next Round of Auditions: Jan. 8, 2011

2010-12-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

We at BYSO offer auditions in January for students wishing to join us for a half-season. If you know anyone who wants to join, but missed our major auditions in early September, it is not too late! We also allow any current students who have their current conductor's permission, to re-audition for higher placement. You can sign up on our website under "auditioning" at http://www.byso.org/

Nervous? Looking for tips? Check out our previous blog posts for helpful advice. We also found a helpful link about orchestral auditions at violinist.com, entitled "Orchestra Auditions, What Judges are Looking For" http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=3389

A Few New Photos

2010-12-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

Here are a few new behind-the-scenes photos from Showcase 1 courtesy of Donna Fisher:

Bellevue City Council

2010-12-02T09:20:00.000-08:00

This week we would like to begin with a note on advocacy that we, like so many other non-profits, rely on for survival. Attached is a clip of one of our board members, Jennifer Lee, who attended City Council on November 15th, along with others, to advocate for funding for arts programs in our community. There are lots of ways to let your representatives know that you are passionate about access to arts education for local students. My personal favorite? E-mail. It has never been easier to get your voice heard. Here are the email addresses for Arts and Education sector staff members with Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell in Washington, DC:

Travis Lumpkin with Senator Murray - travis_lumpkin@murray.senate.gov
Janel George with Senator Cantwell - janel_george@cantwell.senate.gov

Tips while on tour

2010-11-17T11:30:00.000-08:00

Part of being a working musician means "taking that show on the road." We wanted to offer some tips from staff who have lived to tell the tale, beginning with our Executive Director Ruth Brewster.
"I have been on many many tours, both as a performer and as a director. I have traveled in fifteen states, three provinces, and eleven other countries as a touring musician -on busses, cars, trains, planes, and subways. I have toured as a singer and soloist with both student, professional, and church groups. I have played timpani in Sweden, and handbells in Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Finland. I even toured with a small opera company for the Swedish government.
Hopefully I have learned a couple things to make traveling easier for a musician. Here are some tips for when you are on tour:

Don't complain. About anything. Unless you can fix the problem, your complaining just makes things worse.
Take care of yourself -a sick musician is no help to anyone. Eat right -limit the fast food. Sleep right -staying up late and getting up early to meet the bus the next morning is hard on your health.
Remember you are part of a team. This isn't about you. It is about your mission, in your case, it's about the music.
Pack light. Whatever you bring you carry yourself. You really CAN make due with a small bag. If you are carrying an instrument, never leave it in a hotel room unsecured. Sometimes you need purchase invoices for your instrument. This is for when you come back through customs. You may need to prove where you bought it. Do your homework before you leave.
Remember to enjoy the sights. Think: "will I ever be back in (wherever you are...)"
Even if you don't like different types of food, try the local cuisine. You may be suprised.
Take lots of digital pictures. Take an extra flash drive to store them, and extra batteries!
Leave your laptop at home.
Write. Text or e-mail lots of messages back home. Get international service for your phone.
Purchase only the ammount of souvenirs that you can carry, or can afford to ship. No one else will carry them for you.
Before you go, try and learn a few phrases like "please," "thank you," "can you help me?" in the local language.
Understand the money conversion between Dollars and Euros, or Pesos, or whatever else.
And again -Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy."

Thanks Ruth. If you have any touring stories to share please post them in the comments section.

Our Masterworks I Guest Speaker Steven Lowe

2010-11-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

We are very proud to host Steven Lowe as Guest Speaker as we kick off our first ever stand-alone concert series for the phenomenal Youth Symphony led by Dr. Teresa Metzger Howe. We wanted to offer up a little information on Steve's distinguished background, and many accomplishments.

Steven Lowe, Public Information Specialist for Seattle Symphony from 1996 through January 2007, joined the Symphony staff after two decades as a psychotherapist and more than three decades as a freelance contributer to many different musical journals including High Fidelity/ Musical America, Stereo Quarterly, Keynote, and Classical magazines. He has also written for The Los Angeles Times, and The Wisconsin State Journal.

A Rockefeller Foundation Grant -Project for the Training of Music Critics- brought Steve to the University of Southern California in 1965 and led to a position on staff as a reviewer and assistant editor for High Fidelity/Musical America Magazine.

Steve currently provides program notes for Seattle Symphony, Seattle Chamber Music Society, the Northwest Sinfonietta, and the University of Washington's "World Series" chamber music concerts and piano recitals. Steve also serves frequently as pre-concert lecturer for several of those organizations. In the past he has lectured for the Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Baroque and the Early Music Guild; he wrote program notes for the Virginia Symphony, New York Chamber Symphony, Stamford (Conn.) Symphony and the Northwest Chamber Orchestra.

Since 2007, Steve has given filled-to-capasity classes on classical music history for the Creative Retirement Institute through Edmonds Community college. He has been a frequent lecturer on classical music at the Stroum Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island and has also taught at North Seattle Community College.

We are so looking forward to Steve's speech on November 14th at Bellevue Art Museum. We look forward to seeing you there!

Meet our new Intern Extraordinaire

2010-10-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

This week we would like to introduce our new Intern, John Gim. John joins us via Interlake High School's Gifted Program which places students with community organizations for year long internships each year. We asked John to introduce himself and write a bit about his personal musical experiences. So without further ado:

"Music is the language of the heart, or so they say. I'm not really sure who they are, but I certainly agree.

Today in Psychology 201 I watched a video on a Mr. Clive Wearing, a musician whose conscious long term memory was taken away by an accident. He could only remember what he was perceiving at the moment - what he was seeing, touching, hearing, tasting, smelling and paying attention to. What had happened moments ago, it meant nothing to him as if he just woke up from an eternal slumber. It was weird seeing him write in his diary, "I have just now woken up", over and over again at different times of the day. 8:57 he would write, and at 9:02, he would write the exact same sentence. In essence, Clive starts his life over again every moment. However, his heart, soul, mind are all intact. He could speak clearly, trade jokes, express emotion, behave normally, and even play solitare.

Why talk psychology on a music blog? Well, it turns out that Clive is an excellent musician, once the leader of a pre-eminent choir in London and still an accomplished pianist and vocalist. Despite his inability to remember what he ate for breakfast, he could play Chopin's Pathetique or Haydn's opera concerto without fault. Confused and dazed he may be elsewhere but within the music sphere where the notion of time is lost and all that is present is the soul, Clive feels safe and completely at peace.

Clive's experience just shows that music is not just notes combined with a rhythm. No, it is an incredibly intrinsic yet real experience that goes beyond memory and time. It is organic, above what humans can express with words. Music really is the language of the heart.

Perhaps that is why it is so prevalent in today's society. My parents forced me to start playing piano at an early age of 5, and I practiced everyday, 1 hour each. By sophomore year of high school, I had played for a solid decade and other things took higher importance in my life. As part of the Gifted Program at Interlake High School, I was able to start the International Baccalaureate a year early so that I would finish by the end of my junior year, not my senior year. Education was always the first priority in my family and thus I chose to quit piano in order to focus on the IB Program. For two years since, music and I were completely strangers.

This year as a senior, I had the chance to intern at a business of my choice. I chose BYSO. To be honest, I wasn't too excited about alphabetizing the hundreds of applications or entering numbers for BYSO's music catalogue. I just wanted to listen to their music. Indeed, in the first week of rehearsal, I got in as much listening as possible. I heard 6-year-olds struggling to play Joust and I heard the full Youth orchestra tackle a symphony of some sort. All in all, it was inspiring. It was like eating chocolate for the first time after wearing braces for a year.

So I, John Gim, am here at BYSO as an intern, learning what I can about the music industry, backstage production and whatnot. But really, I'm here on a free ticket to all of BYSO's concerts in exchange for a few hours in the office every week."

Thanks John!

Memorable Musical Experiences. This Week: BYSO Executive Director Ruth Brewster

2010-10-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

In reflecting on the many musical experiences we recieve throughout our lives, we at BYSO realize that these experiences entail varying roles, places, and times. As audience members or performers, touring with a group, or attempting a solo performance, hearing a great song on the radio, or happening across a talented group of street performers, they are all enriching and fun to share. This week we hear from Executive Director Ruth Brewster about her favorite musical experience as a listener.

"Everyone can remember a performance that made a real difference to them. It may be the first time you yourself perform, the first time you hear a violin, the first time you hear Chopin, the first time you get to play on a professional stage. For me, one of the most important performances I have ever seen was the first time I heard Joan Sutherland on the opera stage. I was 18 and a freshman in college. I had made special arrangements to see the Seattle Opera's production of Delibes's Lakme, an opera in French but set in India.
I had never heard it, had never heard of any of the performers. But Joan Sutherland, an Australian coloratura soprano, was in the title role as Lakme, an Indian princess. I don't remember the other singers at all, nor the full story line, nor anything else about the production. What I do remember is that I was blown away by her voice, her presence, her comfort at doing this incredible music. It was like being invited into a private conversation with her, like sharing a secret. She had welcomed me into her living room -the stage- to make me at home with this music.
Her vocal technique changed the whole way I thought about technique, about scales, arpeggios, about legato line and phrasing. Her presence on stage was so comfortable -not nervous or tense, not pretentious or brash.
Subsequent performances that I have seen of her in other operas and recitals only stress again and again how a true artist can bring the listener to know that beauty and simplicity work together, that the hard work she must have done in the rehearsal room pays off in the gift she gave everyone in her audiences -all we had to do was enjoy."

Thanks Ruth! If you have a great music listening experience to share, please let us know!

New Pictures from the Fall 2010 Retreat

2010-10-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few great new retreat photos taken by Barbara Ethington. Thanks Barbara!

Fall Retreat

2010-10-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

For those who may be new to BYSO, our bi-annual retreats are a point of pride for us, serving as an innovative way to round out our student's educational experiences with us.

The retreats were started nearly 10 years ago during a time when BYSO was growing and growing each year (as it is now) and conductors and staff wanted to put an emphasis on orchestra members getting together to function as a team. They noticed that our students were coming from so many different towns, with a variety of backgrounds and experiences, ages, and instruments of choice. They thought it would be a great idea to have students get together outside of the intense pace of regular rehearsals and participate in specialized coaching sessions in small groups, get extra time together as an orchestra, and have time to play games and socialize.

Our Winter Retreat will take place on January 22nd for Cadet, Debut, and Premiere, and January 29th for Sinfonia, Youth, and Flutes.

Here are a few of the excellent photos submitted by Donna Fisher of our fall 2010 retreat:

Look for more fun photos of our concerts and retreats here on the blog, or on Facebook!

University of Denver Pre-College Academy

2010-09-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

June 19-July 3, 2011 The Lamont School of Music Summer Pre-College Academy is looking for students ages 14-18 who are interested in their summer music program. In state of the art facilities, students will participate in private lessons and master classes, as well as seminars on college preperation, performance anxiety, and careers in music, to name a few. If you know any pre-college age music students interested you can check out their website for more information: www.du.edu/lamont/summeracademy Participants will also be back in town in time to start BYSO summer camps which will take place every week between July 11th- 29th 2011!

Seattle Music Partners

2010-09-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Seattle Music Partners is a great non-profit organization that is now gearing up for another year of after-school music tutoring. They provide after-school music instruction to elementary and middle school students in low-income schools in Seattle's Central District. They are calling for high school volunteers that will commit one afternoon each week to teach one-on-one instrumental music lessons to beginning musicians. No prior teaching experience is necessary. This is a great opportunity for high school students to gain teaching/leadership experience while improving their own musical skills. They also ensure that volunteer time is credited for service learning and/or community service requirements.
Please contact Lindsey Harris at lindsey@seattlemusicpartners.org for application information.

Auditions begin this week

2010-09-09T13:03:00.001-07:00

It is certainly that time of year again. Auditions will begin this week for BYSO's 46th season. We have had more students sign up this year than ever before and expect this season to be BIG. We know that for some this will be your first audition, so we wanted to offer up a few tips we found in "Strings" Magazine's archives.

Treat yourself well:

Eat good foods and plan something fun for the rest of your day.
Give yourself plenty of time on audition day.
Stretch or exercize before your audition.

Play as much as possible:

Balance auditions with concerts and playing just for fun.

Perform mock auditions:

Its always a good idea to practice auditioning in front of family and friends.
Practicing in a big space is helpful so you can get used to how you sound in a big room.

Listen to Music

This is more of a general musicians rule, and pertains to music study as a whole, not just auditions. Frequently listening to music will sharpen your ears and always acts as inspiration.

Above all remember that music is mean to be fun! We love music for the joy it brings to us and others, and we're sure you all agree.

Do you have any tips on how to ace an audition? If so please add them in the comments section below.

Good Luck!

"Best of Bellevue" for the third consecutive year.

2010-09-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

We wanted to share the good news with our musicians and their families and friends. Check out this letter we received from the U.S Local Business Association congratulating us on the award.

"The USLBA Best of Local Business Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
Nationwide, only 1 in 120 (less than 1%) 2010 Award recipients qualified as three-time Award Winners. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2010 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.
The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chamber of commerce, and other entrepreneurs across America."

Overlake Healing Arts

2010-08-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

Volunteer musicians are needed for the Overlake Hospital Healing Arts program. Volunteers will play their musical instruments in the hospital main lobby to provide "inspiration, hope, and healing" as the program is intended to do. There will be a piano available, yet other instruments are equally appreciated. Interested candidiates will be asked to give a one-time short performance at Sherman Clay in Bellevue. The contact person to schedule your appointment is Leng Tshua (425) 577-3534. Kim Smith (425) 688-5365 is the contact for inquiring about times and dates, and she will also get you an Overlake Hospital volunteer application form. Most dates and times will be considered for your performance, however Monday through Friday 10am to 3 pm are the most desireable times to fill. Overlake seeks musicians who can perform smooth, soft, soothing background music appropriate for the hospital environment. The goal is to provide comfort to patients, but we're sure you will also leave feeling good about how you were able to help others in a possibly difficult time.

Internship Opportunities

2010-08-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

Did you know that we offer internship and volunteer opportunities for students not only in the summer, but throughout the year? If you know a high school student who is interested in interning with BYSO you can call or email the office for more information at 425-467-5604 or info@byso.org. There is a wide range of opportunities for student participation even within the parameters of BYSO student's busy schedules. Students can commit a day, up to an entire season of service. In the past our interns have received school credit for working with us for a semester through the Interlake High honors program, or sat in and observed in the office for a day to write a senior paper on non-profit organizations. Most often, students will use internships or volunteer hours to meet their service learning requirements for high school graduation. We would also like to implement a job shadow program for students interested in entering the non-profit or music education profession.
Nothing makes us feel better than when our students go on to do great things in the community, so anything large or small we can do to help our students succeed in college, and/or their successive careers is one of our top priorities.

New York Philharmonic Kidzone

2010-08-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hats off to the New York Philharmonic for their fabulously fun take on musical early childhood education. On their interactive website entitled the "NY Phil Kidzone" kids can compose and share with the "Minuet Mixer," explore the way music can sound on different instruments at the "Orchestra Station," learn about famous composers in the "Composers Gallery," and of course, play lots of musical games.
Teaching Preschool through Elementary age children about orchestral music is vital to our musical communities. Not only does the study of music benefit children by improving their reading and math skills, as studies have shown, listening to, and understanding it can also spark a life long love of the arts.
http://www.nyphilkids.org
If there are any music education websites that you adore, please share them in the comment section.

Scenes from Session 3

2010-08-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

Summer Camp Concludes

2010-08-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

The end of Session 3 on 7/30/2010 concluded with an afternoon concert on the grass outside of jubilee reach center. We could not of asked for a more pleasant afternoon with blue skies and mild temperatures. Sectionals began, followed by the Camp Session 3 Orchestra whose eclectic showcase featured music composed in the mid 1800's, as well as contemporary pieces from only years ago.
The camp director Jenny Keith shared with us her main goals for this year's summer camps. " That students improved as musicians on their main instruments, learned new styles of music as well as other instruments, and met new friends who love music as much as they do."
Thank you students, parents, interns, staff, and friends, for making our 2010 camps a success. We accrued lots of new memories, and shared lots of fun experiences. We hope you enjoy the waning days of summer and begin preparing for the fall. For those interested in a sneak peak of what our 46th season will look like, check your mailboxes for brochures, and our website soon. We have began posting concert dates and info, and we think you will be very pleased to find there will be lots of opportunities for more collaborations and concerts this year.

Scenes from Session 2

2010-07-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

*A special thank you to Donna Fisher for submitting photos from the Bellevue Square Concert.

Session 2 Begins

2010-07-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Session 2 is underway and day 1 was action packed for our middle school age musicians. After enjoying the perfect weather outside they were off to Orchestra Class, followed by classes like Theory, Folk Guitar, and Hand Chimes.

Did you know we offer internship opportunities to our students every summer? We are proud to employ a handful of BYSO students every year during the summer camps to help coach our younger campers. We tracked down a couple of our interns to learn a little more about their experiences with BYSO Summer Camp.

Kyle Hersey will start attending PLU this fall and has been a Cellist with us for years. "I like working with kids, especially when I can help teach them something I enjoy. Music is an opportunity for them to connect with themselves and eachother. I was an intern last year, and would not pass up another opportunity to work with the young musicians."

Lydia Hsu of Redmond High School is a Violinist who joined BYSO last year, and decided to apply for the internship because she enjoyed camp so much. "I wanted the opportunity to help kids with their musical skills, and allow them to have as much fun as I did."

Thanks guys and glad to hear things are going well. If you know of anybody who may be interested in an internship position please contact our office: 425-467-5604 for details.

We would also like to remind you of the special concert for Session 2 that will take place at the Bellevue Artsfair this Friday 7/23 at 3:15 pm. The concert will be held in Bel-Square Mall's Center Court and will feature a variety of performances that campers have learned over the past week. Please invite family and friends to this free event and stay after the performance to enjoy the Artsfair.

Note to Parents: Because we can not provide transportation from Jubilee Reach Center to the Artsfair please be sure to pick your students up promptly from camp at 2:30pm to get them to Bel-Square by 3:00pm sharp because traffic may be backed-up in downtown Bellevue that afternoon. Staff will be on hand to direct students to the green room when you arrive in Center Court.

Scenes from Session 1

2010-07-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

2010-07-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings from BYSO Summer Camp 2010:

We will be filling you in on all the action from Jubilee Reach Center over the next few weeks. Check back often for new news and photos.

A little rain didn't get our session 1 campers down on day 1. Check in was a breeze, then the busy day was officially underway. Our elementary school age campers didn't miss a beat during String Sectional, Orchestra, or any of our small group workshops such as African Drums, and Folk Fiddling. There was plenty of time for outdoor games, fits of giggling, picnicing, and coaching from our fun team of summer interns, all of whom are BYSO Summer Camp Alumni! Campers are now gearing up for the grand finale this Friday 7/16 at the Jubilee Reach Center. It will be an outdoor concert open to family and friends. The forecast calls for highs in the mid-70s so be sure to bring some sunscreen!

Traditional Irish Flute

2010-07-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sandra Saathoff (BYSO's flute conductor) shares some of her recent experiences in Ireland:

Macroom, Ireland was the first destination of our trip so I could take lessons with Conal O' Grada. He is a music professor at a university in Cork and a very fabulous flute player and teacher!
I had two 2 hour long lessons with him -it's very humbling to feel like a beginner once again! But I appreciated his patience and good humor as I attempted to figure out cuts, pats, tickles, and rolls -while still playing all the right notes at the right time. Not to mention tone (slightly different/more edgy) breathing (must be rhythmic!) and style! Plus, it turns out learning "by ear" is more difficult than I remembered!
The highlight of my week was on Tuesday. After my first lesson, Conal invited me to go with him to the city of Cork that evening, where he and some friends were going to play an Irish music "session" at a pub near his university. It was amazing! Great fun to see the music taken apart during the lesson, then put together again that evening in performance! It was a fantastic atmosphere -very friendly people; spontaneous singing and dancing; and the music was incredible! In addition to Conal, there was another flutist ( a former saxophonist from New Hampshire) and 2 fiddle players, 2 Bodhran (hand drum) players, and a guitarist. Quite memorable!

BYSO Summer Campers at the BAM Artsfair!

2010-06-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars for the 2010 Bellevue Art Museum's Artsfair running July 23-25. Artsfair is the most prestigious juried fine arts and crafts event in the Northwest, and the largest free community event on the Eastside. The event will feature over 300 artist's booths with mediums ranging from painting and sculpture, to wearables and wood. You can stop at the Kidsfair which features hands on projects before heading over to the Sound and Movement Stage to see our session 2 campers perform on 7/23 at 3:15pm. Stay to hear performances by the Bellevue Philharmonic and others.

For a complete listing of performers check the Eastside Arts Coalition's website here: http://www.eastsidearts.org/fair/index_html

Composition Contest Winners

2010-05-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

In 2008 BYSO established the C. Keith Birkenfeld Composition Contest with funds from the C. Keith Birkenfeld Memorial Trust in conjunction with the Seattle Foundation. This annual contest's purpose is to inspire students and showcase young talent by offering them the challenge of creating an origional composition for orchestral instruments that is suitable for professional level performance, and for the benefit of each division of BYSO, which we know spans various skill levels and age groups.

Mr. Birkenfeld was known in Bellevue for his community involvement as an educator at Bellevue High School for over 20 years, and administrator with Bellevue Public Schools, and as a board member of the Bellevue Art Museum. Mr. Birkenfeld established the Trust at the Seattle Foundation before he passed away in September of 2005. Among Mr. Birkenfeld's known attributes -educator, world traveler, and philanthropist -was his great appreciation of classical music.

This year's competition judges were Samuel Jones, of the Young Composers Workshop of Seattle Symphony, for the Youth Symphony; Alan Futterman of Music Academy Northwest and former BYSO music director for the Sinfonia division; John Paul Lowrie for the Dubut String Orchestra; and Paul Taub of Cornish School of the Arts for the Flute Orchestra. The winning composers worked with the judges to fine-tune their compositions and met with BYSO students to talk about their experience in the creative process.

This Years winners are:
Kyle Hanks: "Rhapsody" for Youth Symphony
Jason Wang: "March Overture" for Sinfonia
Ethan Paik Marzban: "The Chase" for Debut String Orchestra
Brendan McMullen: "Hortus Pulcher" for Flute Orchestra

You can see these amazing pieces performed live during our final Showcases of the season on 5/17 for "The Chase" and 5/24 for "Hortus Pulcher," "March Overture," and "Rhapsody" at First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue. 7:00pm. Visit our website for more details.

Right in Our Own Backyard

2010-05-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

An article in the Seattle Times reminded us that there really are a lot of enriching, unique music performances and experiences in the Seattle area. Sometimes it can be easy to forget that the UW offers, not only, interesting student performances, but brings in world renowned guest artists and performers, often at very affordable ticekt prices.

You might want to bookmark http://www.artsuw.org/ so the next time you are making family plans for the weekend you can see what's happening right in our own backyard.

Youth Symphony at Crossroads

2010-04-27T08:00:00.001-07:00

The Youth Symphony performed to a packed house at Crossroads this spring!

Pictures courtesy of BYSO Board Member and Parent, Jeff Keith.

It's Not Just About the Music...

2010-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, well BYSO Summer Camp is a lot about the music, of course, but have you been? It's also about water balloon wars, trying out new music, and making new friends. Seriously, can you think of another time your conductor is cool with practicing out on the grass?

Details of BYSO's Summer Camps

BYSO Summer Camp Program

BYSO Camps
Fees and Tuition
After July 1, Please register with full tuition payment.
Summer Camp for 2010:
Session One: July 12-16 for ages 6-10, $265.00
Pay by check or through PayPal
Session Two: July 19-23 for ages 10-13, $290.00
Pay by check or through PayPal
Session Three: July 26-30 for ages 14-19, $325.00
Pay by check or through PayPal
(Early Bird discount does not apply with PayPal payments)

All sessions will be at Jubilee Reach Center, Bellevue
For a complete summer brochure, go to www.byso.org

Space is limited, therefore early reservations are encouraged.

Financial Aid
To apply for a scholarship, please contact the BYSO office at 425.467.5604 for information. All scholarships are based on proven financial need.

Calling All Parent Photographers & Videographers!

2010-04-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Do you have photos or videos from recent BYSO concerts? If so, please send to marketing@byso.org. We are always looking for more photos from our concert, and would love to add some video of our amazing students in action to our blog, website, and Facebook page!

Please consider sharing your photos and/or videos today!

Guest Blogger!

2010-04-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

We always love to hear from guest bloggers, and this week our very own BYSO Board Treasurer, Scott Lampe, dropped by to share with us why he continues to support BYSO with his work on the board:

As a member of the BYSO board of directors for the past seven years and treasurer for the past two, it has been a pleasure to watch the organization see consistent robust growth and to see the valuable musical experience afforded hundreds of Eastside youth. Given the strong correlation of the skills and discipline required in music with success in other academic pursuits, it is gratifying to see the overwhelming support by so many Eastside families and to see their children grow in their musical talents based on their positive experiences with BYSO.

The board of directors is committed to the continued success of BYSO and encourage anyone to feel free to contact any of the board members with questions about the organization - we also are always interested in folks who may have an interest in serving with us!

Scott Lampe
BYSO Board Member and Treasurer

____________________________________________________

Thanks Scott! Are you interested in becoming a BYSO Board member? If so, email info@byso.org for more information

Who is BYSO?

2010-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

BYSO is celebrating 45 years this year! Check out the current video on who and what makes the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra here:

Local Musicians Looking to Set Guinness World Record

2010-03-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this cool article on local student musicians. They've put together "String Jam '10" in an attempt to set the world record of "largest string ensemble under one roof."

Redmond Reporter Article - http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/red/lifestyle/84723672.html

Why We Chose BYSO

2010-03-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

This week we have a guest blogger - Xiting Phillips, parent and board member with BYSO. We asked Xiting to share with us why her family was connected with BYSO and why she felt it was important to give back by giving her time and skills as a BYSO Board member.

Thank you Xiting for sharing why you and your family are passionate about BYSO! We are glad you are a part of the BYSO Family!

Guest Post:

Wow, it’s almost four years since our older son joined BYSO! Ever since our older son was born, our parenting instincts and skills have been growing with him. One thing we have discovered is there are very few places and people we can trust to leave our son with. BYSO is one, the organization and the conductors/coaches, we trust.

Through the years that our son has been in the Premiere Orchestra, we have seen how dedicated our conductors and coaches are and how much progress our son has made over these years. It’s amazing how evident the students’ improvement is from each concert. I often wonder how our conductors do this. They only rehearse 2 hours every week!

After two years in BYSO, I was “lured” in to become a board member. Of course, I kind of wanted toJ. We (my husband and I) wanted to contribute more to this organization that has children’s best interests at it’s core. Once I became a board member, I got to see behind the scenes and how the board and executive directors work and realize why BYSO is such a great organization. We are so glad that we chose BYSO for our son to join. This is only the 2nd time that we truly trust an organization that makes decisions that influences our son’s life.

-Xiting Phillips

Join us on Facebook

2010-03-09T08:00:00.001-08:00

Are we friends on Facebook yet? In an effort to connect with our current students, families, supporters, and, very much, our alumni, we've recently created a BYSO Facebook page, and hope to connect or reconnect with you.

We know some of our awesome students and alums have created pages connected to BYSO, and have added links to their pages on our page, but we also hope you will join our page as well.

Our Facebook page will help keep you informed of upcoming BYSO Concerts, events, news on our website, and our blog posts.

See you on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=search&gid=5750072973#!/pages/Bellevue-Youth-Symphony-Orchestra/328105559229?ref=ts

2010 Concerto Competition Winner

2010-03-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

We are excited to announce this year's BYSO Concerto Winner! Check out the press release on Dong Hee Lee below:

THE BELLEVUE YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES LOCAL STUDENT WINNER IN CONCERTO COMPOSITION CONTEST.

The Concerto Composition Contest is an annual composition contest the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO) hosts. Each year a young composer is selected to perform their solo piece at a Showcase Concert held in March. This year Dong Hee Lee, a freshman in the Bellevue School District, won the honor to perform her work at the BYSO Showcase concert on March 7, 2010 at the Eastlake Performing Arts Center.

Dong Hee started the violin at age 8. As an elementary school student, she was awarded a top prize in the junior high division of the 2007 Michigan State Concerto Competition. She won a scholarship to the Interlochen Summer Arts Academy. The University of Michigan invited her to perform two solo recitals at the Lloyd Hall. She was invited through an audition by the American Fine Arts Festival to perform at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. In 2009, she was awarded the alternate prize at the MTNA State Competition. She was the concertmistress of the Bellevue School District Honors Middle School Orchestra. Currently, she is a first-violin player of the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Interlake High Chamber Orchestra. Dong Hee has studied with Simon James and Jan Coleman. Prior to moving the Bellevue area in 2008, she had studied with Professor Dmitri Berlinsky of the Michigan State University. In addition to playing the violin, Lee is interested in nanotechnology. She will soon start to work as an intern for a company specializing in the field. Lee shares, “I chose to play the Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Saint-Saens because this piece really fit me. I take French at school, and this piece, also French, really swept me away.” Lee continues, “Although this piece is like a war horse in terms of technique and level of emotion, it captures the delicate and ‘elevated’ essence that defines most French music.” Although it is challenging and requires a lot of thought and work, she is very happy that she can serve the piece with the type of dynamism that comes from collaborating with an orchestra.

Lee enjoys being a member of the BYSO because it helps her realize that she is not the only one playing music in the world! “The violin is a very lonely instrument, and sometimes, I wish that I could make music together with other people. There is so much energy in the BYSO that the weekly rehearsals charge me up with the motivation to produce more and more music,” shares Lee. “I am lucky to live so close to an institution that provides me both motivation and a sense of belonging.”

The Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit organization established to provide a positive and stimulating musical environment for students. BYSO uniquely complements and builds upon both school music programs and private instruction. BYSO encourages the development of musical skills and self-confidence, as participants in all ensembles rehearse orchestral literature which appropriately challenges their skills. For over 45 years our program has provided instrumental music experience to match the ability levels of talented youth from early elementary grades through their college years.

Please go to http://www.byso.org/ for ticket information and additional details.
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Food & Fun at the BYSO Friendraiser

2010-02-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

So much fun was had at the 2010 BYSO Friendraiser!

All photos courtesy of http://www.brickhousephotos.com/

All photos are copyright protected. To purchase your own copy of a photo, please visit the website listed above, click on order print, and BYSO Friendraiser. Thanks!

Making New Friends

2010-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

BYSO was joined by approx. 50 new and old friends this February for the first annual "BYSO Friendraiser." The event, held at Starry Nights Catering & Events in Kirkland brought together longtime supporters of BYSO, current conductors and students, and new friends & supporters of BYSO.

This was one of a number of recent efforts to make sure that the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra is no longer one of the Eastside's, "best kept secrets."

A special thank you to our conductors, student performers, board members, volunteers, and new and old donors for making this such a fun and festive evening!

Teresa Metzger Howe, BYSO Music Director, and new friends

Ruth Brewster, Executive Director, and long-time friends and supporters of BYSO

Geri Carlson, Board President, her husband, and guests

Next week's blog will be filled with more fun photos of the performances, food, & guests!

All photos courtesy of www.brickhousephotos.com

We're getting ready....

2010-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

BYSO is hosting it's first "friendraiser" on 2/4/10 at Starry Nights Catering & Events. We've invited Eastside business leaders, professionals, and media to join us for a rousing evening that includes some terrific BYSO performances, including a special Conductor Group Performance!

We'll post pictures after the event!

We would like to thank the BYSO Board, staff, and the community businesses and organizations that have helped us make this evening possible!

A Fellow Symphony Blogger

2010-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

We don't think we'll be getting to Buenos Aires anytime soon, but reading about the national symphony via the Tribuna Musical blog was very interesting and enlightening.

http://tribunamusical.blogspot.com/2009/10/interesting-music-from-national.html

Guest Blogger: Kyoko Taguchi, BYSO Board Member

2010-01-19T08:00:00.001-08:00

This week we are excited to have Kyoko Taguchi, from the BYSO Board of Directors, join us with a guest blog entry!

We asked Kyoko to share with us her thoughts on music from an international perspective.

The Power of Music: Kyoko & Takumi's Experience:

"My son (8 yrs. old) is a happy third grader. He loves math, recess, and playing the violin in the BYSO Premiere Orchestra. Last Sunday he played the violin at our church to raise funds to help prepare dinner for the organization, Tent City. He prepared a sign asking for donation with his Crayola crayons, and played some Bach, Vivaldi, Veracini, and Kreisler for about an hour. That afternoon he raised $195.00, which was more than enough to prepare two dinners for the 95 people of Tent City. He said he was "extremely happy and thankful."

We moved from Tokyo in March 2006. My son was five years old then and didn’t know any English. When his “captain kid” week came in school, he was asked to give a presentation about himself. The only thing he could do was to play Handel’s “Bourree” with his tiny 1/8 violin in front of his kindergarten class. Since then, music has been a very special friend for him. When he turned 6, he wanted to join BYSO and make more friends through music -- he was in ESL then. He couldn’t even sight-read yet, and for the first three months he cried every night being unable to connect what he heard and what he saw. However, to my surrise, he never wanted to quit. Probably, he instinctively knew that music was helping him keep his self-esteem through the major transition between two countries, cultures, and languages. He now corrects my “funny English” and reads the sheet music without my help. Honestly it’s not too easy for me as a working mom to take him to rehearsals every Mondays by 6:30pm, but his happy bright face after rehearsals tells me how precious the experience he is having at BYSO is, and makes me so grateful to the wonderful people who make BYSO such an extraordinary place."

Thank you to Kyoko and Takumi, for sharing what an important role music plays in your lives. We are grateful to have Takumi in Premiere and Kyoko on the Board!

______

How does music impact you? Got a story to share? Email your blog ideas to marketing@byso.org

How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?

2010-01-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

We found this interesting bit of trivia from http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/04/11/1558245

theodp writes:

"How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. Then, audition on YouTube. When a 10-year-old Hannah Tarley asked to get her ears pierced, her mom told the aspiring violinist she could if she performed at Carnegie Hall. Seven years later, using a computer placed atop several volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica, 17-year-old Hannah filmed herself playing Brahms' Symphony No. 4 to audition by video for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra. On April 15, Hannah will make her debut with others who made the cut at New York City's Carnegie Hall in a concert conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, music director of the San Francisco Symphony."

Related posts: 1/5/10 "YouTube Symphony" Post

The YouTube Symphony

2010-01-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Mashing up thousands of musicians from around the world, YouTube creates something new and interesting.

All the details and video can be found here: www.youtube.com/symphony

What's Your Favorite Symphony Story?

2009-12-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

We found this great Facebook page of people's most memorable symphony stories, and it got us thinking,"What's our favorite symphony story and why?"

We hope you have a terrific New Year and spend some time pondering your own favorite symphony story as we head into 2010!

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=7781543227&topic=8774

BYSO back at Bellevue Square!

2009-12-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's been many years, but this holiday season BYSO returned to perform at Bellevue Square for the holiday season. With Santa's reindeer "Flying" above our Premiere Orchestra it was quite a festive performance. Led by conductor, Barney Blough, the group performed a number of seasonal pieces from around the globe. Smaller quartets also performed selections for this concert.

The Bellevue Square center court was packed with parents, friends, and shoppers and it was a very festive way to kick off the holiday season!

Announcing Ten Grands Concert

2009-12-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

For the third year, students are invited to compete for a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to perform at the Ten Grands Concert on May 21, 2010 at Benaroya Hall. The competition is presented by Ten Grands Seattle and The Snowman Foundation. It's open to musicians between the ages of 6 and 18. Entry submission closes on Jan 31, 2010.

For all of the details and an entry form visit http://www.king.org/.

Good luck!

Double Bass - Check this article out

2009-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

City Arts Magazine, is not only a great magazine, but now combined with Sound magazine (bringing more music coverage to each issue) and printing copies specific to Seattle, the Eastside, and Tacoma, it's technically 3 really great magazines!

This month we enjoyed the article, Double Bass, about Joe Kaufman, Seattle Symphony's assistant principal bass. He is a musician with a unique story to tell about his path to becoming a musician.

This article can only be found in the Seattle print version of this month's City Arts, but lots of great articles and features can also be found online at www.cityartsmagazine.com!

The Incredible Machine!

2009-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last week we received an email with this amazing video and just had to share it with you!

This is a computer animation piece called Pipe Dream that was created by Wayne Lytle, Dave Crognale, and their team at Animusic. Wouldn't it be cool if there were a real machine out there that could do this?

(if the video does not work, please go to http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2942922314315974986# to view the video)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

We are thankful for all of our BYSO friends and family! We hope you have a safe and joyful Thanksgiving with family & friends.

We look forward to seeing you at one or many of our upcoming holiday concerts. For details go to www.byso.org.

Be sure to check back next week for a truly amazing video right here at The BYSO Blog!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra

clipart from www.about.com , Bobbie Peachey

Upcoming Events!

2009-11-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

We're getting ready for a busy BYSO November!

Here are our November concerts not to be missed:

11.17.09 - Next Performance: November 17. Debut East and West will perform a joint concert with Pine Lake Middle School.

11.22.09 - November 22 – SHOWCASE CONCERT I - Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center
A: Debut, Flute Choir, Sinfonia
Performance: 3:30

B: Premiere, Flute Orchestra, Youth Symphony
Performance: 7:00 p.m.
11.23.09 - November 23: Youth Symphony at Interlake High School with IHS band and orchestra, Performance Time: 7:30pm

GET INVOLVED!

In addition to the rehearsals and concerts BYSO offers lots of ways to get involved.

Coming up is the 10th Annual Concerto Competition on 11.21.09, and if you are part of a small ensemble let us know!

For more details please go to www.byso.org.

Our First Crossroads Concert of the Season!

2009-11-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday the Sinfonia Orchestra, led by Conductor Joseph Kempisty, performed to a full house at Crossroads Mall in Bellevue. Sinfonia performed twice that afternoon to a busy Crossroads! Mr. Kempisty kept the group on their toes as he picked up the tempo in the final piece of the concert, a hungarian dance.

What will they think of next?

2009-10-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

With Halloween right around the corner, we were looking for some great music inspired Halloween costumes, or something fun to post...well, we did not find any inspiring musical instrument halloween costumes, but we did find http://www.inventorspot.com/ and discovered something pretty cool.

It turns out there are sections of highway in Japan that can turn your car into a musical intrument...sorta.

Here's the basic details from the website: The theory behind the Melody Road is surprisingly imple: a car driven over a series of grooves cut into a roadway will create a resonance as the tires repeatedly cross the grooves. You may have noticed this effect while driving over roads under construction or highway ramps that have been grooved to provide extra traction in inclement weather conditions.

To read the full article and watch a video of Melody Road in action click here: http://inventorspot.com/articles/melody_road_gives_whole_new_mean_8235

Photo credit: http://www.inventorspot.com/

Have a safe and happy Halloween!!!

Students perform at MadArt

2009-10-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some amazing photos from the musical performance at MadArt in Capitol Hill this past September from Wanda Holt Photography:

MadArt, Mad Music

2009-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Students in the Sapor Dei String Quartet (some are members of BYSO) played to an enthralled audience of 200+ at the MadArt Opening Night event in Madison Park earlier this month. The event was a mingling sort of evening, but many guests pulled up a chair to listen to the beautiful performance from these student musicians. They received many compliments that evening, and seemed to be just as popular as the Art on display!

Chamber Music Ensembles

2009-10-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

BYSO has a great reputation for quality performance and professional student musicians. In the last year, student groups (trios and quartets) have been asked to play at a number of community events. This has been a great way for the community to get a taste of what BYSO has to offer and for smaller ensemble groups to perform together. Some groups have even received paid performance opportunities! We would like to offer you/your group the opportunity to become a recommended ensemble.

BYSO Ensemble Adjudication
BYSO often has requests for ensembles to play at events. Such requests include weddings, senior citizen residences, school events, community events, and publicity events.
On October 11 2009, BYSO will hold an adjudication of any ensemble who wishes to be part of our list of recommended groups. There will be a $25 fee for each ensemble.
To be eligible for this adjudication, the ensemble must meet the following requirements:
1. 75% of the ensemble must be current BYSO members
2. There is no set limit to size (quartets, trios, sextets, and so forth are welcome)
3. All instrument groupings are encouraged. Some may be:
a. String ensembles (trios, quartets, quintets)
b. Woodwinds or brass – three to six players
c. Woodwind quintet (fl, ob, cl, horn, bsn)
d. Harp, with other instrument such as flute or violin.
e. Piano with other instruments (please note that needing a piano restricts the places you may be asked to play).
f. Any grouping of 3 – 6 players that you can find consistent repertoire
You will be adjudicated by at least two members of the BYSO music staff on the following areas:
1. Musicality
2. Performance Readiness
3. Presentation
a. In appropriate performance attire, just as if you are performing.
b. Do you present yourselves well?
You will receive one of three ratings:
1. A "One" rating – BYSO will recommend and encourage you for any request.
2. A "Two" rating – BYSO will recommend you for limited requests.
3. A "Three" rating – BYSO recommends that you keep working and try again.

Now's your chance to audition and get on the list! email info@byso.org to sign up.

Interlochen Summer Camp

2009-09-29T05:18:00.000-07:00

It seemed like just yesterday we were spending our summer days at camp, in the pool with friends, or on vacation. Now, the leaves are already changing and we're back in school. We'll if you are already missing summer as much as we are, here's a final thought on how much fun summer camps are from Katherine Jacobsen, who had a great time at the Interlochen Camp this summer:

This summer I was lucky enough to spend three weeks at an arts camp called Interlochen. Interlochen is situated in northern Michigan right by a scenic lake. I auditioned for flute and was accepted in the wind symphony. The usual day at Interlochen was spent attending classes according to your major. My classes consisted of symphony rehearsal, music theory class, private lessons, practice time and one elective. The weekends (which was Sunday and Monday) were spent doing pretty much whatever you wanted. You could attend performances, do any water activities, walk around the campus etc.
One of my favorite parts about Interlochen was the performances I got to attend. Almost every night there were performances offered. I saw jazz concerts, musicals, art galleries and much more. Over all I had an amazing experience at Interlochen. I met people from all over the world, I improved in flute drastically and most importantly I had a lot of fun.

For more info. on Interlochen check out http://camp.interlochen.org/

Week 3 day 2

2009-07-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of Week 3 seemed to come straight out of Death Valley (at least for the majority of us who are used to nice cool Washington summers)! The heat made us all lethargic, but we interns tried to keep things cool with a fan in each classroom. We played a rousing card game indoors while waiting for camp to start, and then headed off to sectionals.

Due to our plethora of cellist campers and interns, I’ve been filling in the percussion section this week. I’m extremely excited to learn some basic percussion skills (including just how much patience it takes!), so our sole drumming camper and I got to have special instruction from the camp director himself, Mr. Wilbert. Our hard work paid off and we had a blast when the first full orchestra rehearsal of the day came around! The group is already sounding fantastic, and I can’t wait to hear the end result.

During one free hour, I got to go visit all the small ensembles and take a few pictures. It looks like all the classes are coming along fantastically, from the cheery, melodic sounds of the marimbas to the familiar refrains of Mozart. It was also fun to see the campers dressed up in the day’s theme- summery Hawaiian leis and garishly bright neon clothing!

By the end of the day, we were all about to collapse from the heat. Despite our exhaustion, we had a great, productive final rehearsal, and wrapped things up with a preview from assistant director Jenny of tomorrow’s theme- wacky Wednesday! I’m looking forward to seeing all the crazy costumes, and now I’m off to go find one of my own! Happy practicing, campers!

~ Erin Brown

Week 3 day 3

2009-07-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is Brita Moore, and I am a cello intern. Wednesday at BYSO Summer Camp was extremely hot, just as the first two days were, but everyone still managed to have a great time. Our theme today was Wacky Wednesday, which meant we had to wear clothes and accessories that were pretty much insane. I didn't exactly go all out personally, but some students really took advantage of the opportunity to wear silly things.
So far, no one has suffered terribly because of the heat. The staff members are doing their best to keep everyone happy and motivated. We have encouraged the students to drink plenty of fluids (especially water!) and take it easy if they get tired. We also brought Otter Pops for snack time today - always a good treat in the heat. :) During lunch time, a group of us played the game In a Pickle, which we discovered yesterday morning and love to play. Tomorrow we are having a waterfight! This will be a welcome relief from the heat and stress.
Musically, we are quite impressed with the students' abilities. I was assigned to the viola sectionals (there were too many cello interns for one section), and they sound great. It is probably the strongest section in the orchestra in terms of sound. The orchestra as a whole is doing extremely well. Hopefully the sound will continue to improve, and on Friday these students' parents' jaws will drop.
That's all for now! Stay cool, and practice hard.
- Brita

Week 2- The last day!

2009-07-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Week 2 day 5

What a hot way to end a fine week of camp. Even though it was hot out, the campers seemed even more energetic than ever. Rehearsal in the morning was tense; everyone was trying to play their best in preparation for the concert. Dr. Metzger Howe found a couple places to work on for sectionals, but most importantly, she loosened everybody up so they could relax and truly play their best.

Sadly, I missed the second half of the day due to a couple hours of setting up chairs and stands in the park. However, from what I heard from the campers, it was one of the most fun days of their elective classes. When everyone got to the park where the concert was to take place, everyone was in good spirits and all set to play. The audience grew and grew, but not one of the orchestra members became nervous. However, the wind started to grow and many of the coaches started to get nervous about holding the music on the stands.

Individuals played beautifully during the concerts. The solos were flowing, singing, and very musically played. What stole the show was the ability of everyone to stay together. It was most apparent in the big orchestra where, although we could not hear as well due to playing outside, the members of the orchestra watched Dr. Metzger Howe’s baton carefully to stay together and create beautiful orchestral music.

After the concert, many were sad to see each other go, but everyone was proud of the music and friendships they created during this fabulous week of camp.

Timmy Locke

Week 2, Day 4

2009-07-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty eventful day at camp. As we move closer to the concert day, teachers begin to intensify the practice time, tightening up loose ends. Much improvement has been made since the beginning of camp, although there is still some work to be done. However, ensembles are coming together nicely, creating great music.

For the special seminar today, Dr. Metzger Howe led the orchestra in some sight reading of movie music. We played selections from Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Hook. I think that almost everyone enjoyed playing music from familiar movies.

During the final orchestra rehearsal of the day, we were able to run through all the pieces for tomorrow's concert without stopping. No major train wrecks occurred, which is an amazing feat considering that the ensemble has only been playing together since Monday.

Following camp today, several campers braved the chilly weather and had a water fight. To the seven of you who willingly allowed yourselves to become drenched with water balloons, squirt guns, buckets of water, and the hose, I salute you. Way to keep the traditional camp water fight alive.

Jenny Keith

Week 2, Day 3

2009-07-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

Week 2 day 3

Camp was full of surprises today! When we arrived, Dr. Metzger Howe surprised us with a brand new piece, The Theme From E.T.. The sight reading gave the orchestra a bit of trouble at first, but by the end of the first rehearsal the piece was already sounding like the movie despite the lack of brass and bassists in the orchestra. In addition, the Massenet is coming along beautifully with wonderful solos and harmonies.

Walking around during sectionals, all of the coaches are doing a fantastic job of blending the different sounds of the campers that they just met two days ago. The sections all know each other well after just two days! Everyone is in a happy mood despite the unexpected clouds in the sky cooling off what has been such a hot week.

Today’s seminar was my favorite so far, guitar class. Everyone paired up and sat in a circle while Mr. Wilbert taught us the basics of guitar. “Guitar,” he said, “is easy to play as a secondary instrument because mostly you accompany a soloist by playing a set of chords.” He taught us simple chords and everyone picked it up fairly quickly. Time just whizzed by as we strummed chords to Leaving on a Jet Plane sung beautifully by Mr. Wilbert himself.

At the end of the day, officially half way through the camp, the two day old orchestra not only sounds, but looks like it has been together for months. As the clouds finally cleared, everything was looking up and everyone was looking forward to the last half of camp.

Timmy Locke

Week 2 of Camp

2009-07-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

Week two of camp has gotten off to a great start so far! As I wander down the hallways, snapping a few pictures here and there or checking on the classes, I can hear music. Music that is coming together – and it’s only day two of camp.

It’s amazing how much progress students have made since yesterday. I can already hear parts that have been practiced or worked on, which pays off in the groups. For example, Dr. Metzger Howe was able to do a complete run through of one of the pieces in orchestra, a feat impressive for only the second day of camp.

During week two of camp, students have the opportunity to attend various seminars. Today Mr. Blough gave a lecture on auditioning, something all musicians have to experience at one point in time or another. He offered tips on how to prepare for an audition, as well as demonstrating a mock audition.

Overall, today was a successful day. Despite the heat, much was accomplished, resulting in a more refined sample of music.

Jenny Keith

Day 5 of Camp!

2009-07-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

Whew, what a spectacular way to end week one of BYSO Summer Camp! Today was a BLAST, despite the blistering heat and various other predicaments. The interns kicked off the day with our final ensemble rehearsal to ensure that our piece would run as smoothly as possible during the concert. After that, a game of “Capture the Flag” was initiated as the kids slowly began pouring in. The rest of the day – including our concert dress rehearsal – seemed to whizz by in a conglomerated mess.

Then came the time for the concert. As parents began taking their seats in the audience, I happened to notice that a few of the kids appeared anxious and apprehensive. They had an entirely justified reason to have been acting that way, as for many of the kids, this was likely their first concert!

The concert opened with various ensemble performances from the kids, which ranged from African drumming to jazz and even folk fiddling! Each performance was superiorly executed and had far-exceeded everyone’s expectations. The intern ensemble was largely a success as well. The concert concluded with several songs from the full orchestra, and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Shadow Dance,” and “Dark Adventure” were the main highlights of the concert and had received hearty applause from the audience.

Having to say goodbye to the kids and my fellow interns after the concert was undoubtedly sad, but I shall keep my hopes high that I will see them again in the near future. As I look back, I realize what a pleasurable and extremely rewarding experience this week has been. I will most certainly be applying to become a BYSO Summer Camp intern next year as well!

Mana Maloney

Day 4 of Camp!

2009-07-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

Camp today was the best so far. We played an intense game of Capture the Flag in the morning with all the campers playing against the four interns. We were totally dominated by the overwhelming number of campers.

As one of the interns taking care of the non-orchestra instrument campers, I spent my morning in the percussion room watching our brand new drummers sounding more and more like kids who have spent several years playing drums. Their improvement over the past four days has been remarkable. We have managed to teach them congas, snare, xylophone, the “fish” among others and they look forward to demonstrating their new skills tomorrow.

The improvement is also noticeable in the beginning instruments class on trumpet, trombone, flute and clarinet.

In the African drums class, we have been having a great time every day laying down some soulful beats in tune with African drum circle music.

The best part of today, or course, was the water fight. Picture an army of young campers set loose on six buckets filled to the brim with water balloons and an arsenal of super soakers. Let’s just say the interns got soaked! I could not spot an inch of dry clothing on me. Even Mr. Wilbert needed a towel by the end!The orchestra with its new percussion section is making great progress and the concert tomorrow will be fantastic.

Peter Cole

Day 3 of Camp

2009-07-16T01:59:00.000-07:00

Well the third day of camp was very exciting! The kids and interns started the day off with a nice round of Capture the Flag outside on the field. It was a nice change to see that they were having as much fun outside as going inside and playing in the orchestra. All the kids had a blast preparing for the concert on Friday and we were getting better each day; even, Ms. Doerrfeld admits that we were ready!

The biggest news today was at the announcements. After all was said and done, Mr. Wilburt told us that tomorrow we will have a water fight after the camp! Almost everyone cheered, except the interns, probably because we are about to get soaked!

Mike Chan

Day 2 of Camp

2009-07-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

Alright! So, camp today was awesome! The clothing theme was superheroes. There was quite a bit of participation! We had a ninja, Goofy (from the seven dwarfs I think), and I wore a Marti Gras mask and a rubber snake. There were many other costumes that were too numerous to mention.

So before camp started, while kids were still getting checked in, we had an intense game of freeze tag. Everyone was running around and had a great time. One particular kid was very memorable in that he wasn’t really playing the game. He would walk around, and when he was tagged, he would announce, “I’m invincible!” When I was running away from another intern who was it, I dropped my snake, ran about 20 feet, and got tagged. Two young tricksters grabbed my rubber snake and managed to hide it from me until lunch time.

First period, as always, is a sectional. The cello’s sectional was awesome, and from the bits I heard of the others, the entire orchestra is doing excellent.
After the sectional is a rehearsal of the entire orchestra, which went well. All our pieces are coming along nicely. Apparently, several of the students took the initiative and watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as well. One of our pieces comes from that movie.
Next came snack time. A VERY IMPORTANT part of the day. After that the day zoomed by through chamber ensemble, and jazz, and another orchestra rehearsal.
The camp is going great so far. Tomorrow is wacky day! So lets see how crazy we can get!

- Kyle Hersey

Welcome to the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra Camp!

2009-07-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

I hope you are ready for a week of fun, inspiration and excitement! On behalf of our entire staff of adults and interns, I would like to welcome you and thank you for joining us.

It is our hope that this week will be not only a memorable part of your summer, but an inspiration to continue participating in music for years to come. It is our hope that each and every student at camp will:

- Improve as a musician on their main instrument
- Learn new styles of music and learn about other instruments
- Meet new friends who love music as much as you do

The camp staff and interns are all here to make sure you have the best experience possible, so please don’t be shy to ask us questions or ask for help!

Looking forward to a fantastic week,

Mark Wilbert
Camp Director

Summer Camp Daily Blog Coming

2009-07-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wanna stay up-to-date with what's happening at the BYSO Summer Camp? Starting in mid- July each day a summer camp staffer will post a blog report with photos on what happened the previous day in camp. From the funny to the interesting to the musically inspiring, we'll get all the updates right here! So, bookmark the page now, and we'll see you starting July 13th with a special message from BYSO Summer Camp Director, Mr. Mark Wilbert!

Cheers,

BYSO Bloggers!

Musical Cakes?

2009-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's summertime! So, we thought we'd post some fun pics. of the craziest musical cakes you've ever seen!

Hey, did you sign up for summer camp yet? http://www.byso.org/

I've heard of musical chairs and cake walks, but who would've thought you could make such cool musical cakes?

http://www.cakecentral.com/

http://www.photobucket.com/

Professional Students - Sapor Dei Quartet

2009-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

On 6/3/09 Students from the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra performed as the Sapor Dei Quartet at the Eastside Open House. If you are interested in live instrumental music at your wedding or event, contact us at marketing@byso.org for details. Our students are professional and sound terrific! Live music certainly adds a level of sophistication and quality to any event.

Photography: Barbie Hull Photography, www.barbiehull.com

Sapor Dei String Quartet Performs!

2009-06-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Sapor Dei String Quartet Performs!

The Sapor Dei Quartet (made up of BYSO students) performed at the Eastside Event Open House on 6/3 at Starry Nights Catering in Kirkland. The guests at the event were so impressed with the group, and had no idea they were student performers! The group added a sophisticated ambiance to the evening. Guests included Eastsiders who are planning weddings or other events this summer. In addition to great music by Sapor Dei was delicious food and other event vendors.

Photography Credit: Barbie Hull Photography, www.barbiehull.com

BYSO's Road Trip to Sumner

2009-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

This past spring BYSO was asked to perform at the Sumner Summer Concert series. BYSO was excited to perform to a new audience, packed up the carpools and headed on down to Sumner. The concert opened with an introduction by the town mayor and received rave reviews from the audience for the program, which included some popular film and musical selections. Check out pictures from the Sumner concert below:

Here's a link to the Puyallup Herald about the concert: http://www.puyallupherald.com/110/story/3705.html

When Fashion is Music to Our Ears.

2009-05-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Big things are coming to the Eastside. BYSO is very excited about PACE (Performing Arts Center Eastside), "a 2,000-seat premier center for the performing arts, presenting for the first time nationally and internationally acclaimed music, theatre, and dance to audiences east of Lake Washington." BYSO is very excited because this is a great venue for our concerts!

Ruth Brewster, BYSO Executive Director, and Geri Spindrift, BYSO Advisory Board Director, recently attended the PACE Fashion Show, which was a fundraiser for PACE. We sat down with Geri to find out details about the show, and what PACE might mean for us at BYSO.

BYSO: What was the PACE fashion show like?

Geri: The fashion show was put on by the Act Two Guild for Performing Arts Center Eastside and featured thirteen stores from the Bellevue Collection. The event started with a three course lunch, followed by a short presentation by John Haynes, PACE Executive Director, then the show. The fast-paced show presented a range of spring fashions, from stores like 7 For All Mankind and Mercer to Eileen Fisher and Voletta Couture.

BYSO: What type of music did they play at the fashion show?

Geri: The music was lively and tailored to the fashions presented by each store. Lighting was also used to enhance the mood and highlight the clothes.

BYSO: What did you learn about PACE that will be helpful for BYSO?

Geri: The Campaign for PACE’s goal is to raise $160 million to build a performing arts facility on the Eastside. PACE will be a multipurpose facility with seating capacity from fewer than 750 to a maximum of 2,000. This facility, located at NE 10th Street and 106th Avenue NE, would be an excellent venue for BYSO. Visit their website, www.pac-eastside.org for updates.

BYSO: What else did you find interesting about the show or PACE?

Geri: This event had two purposes, to raise awareness and generate community support, and fund-raising for the Star Lounge (green room) Furnishings Fund. The show was successful on both. The event was well attended by community members who are key to PACE, and $30,285 was raised during the Fund-A-Need presentation.

BYSO: Sounds like so much fun! Thanks for sharing Geri!

Does performing at PACE sound like fun to you? Let us know! Comment on the blog or email us at marketing@byso.org

Classissima is cool!

2009-05-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

A while back we received an email from Classissima to let us know BYSO was listed in their directory of online classical music webpages. We decided to take a closer look at all that Classissima has to offer, and thought you might think it was pretty cool too.

Classissima.com offers, "musical news, a directory of more than 5,000 web sites on classical music throughout the world, hundreds of quotations, block calendar, and direct links to the Wikipedia encyclopaedia." Their website shares, " Classissima is entirely dedicated to classical music, to keeping it alive and kicking … Classical music exists in every country, Classissima is available in French, English, German, Italian and Spanish."

So if you enjoy all thing classical music related, this may be just the site for you!

http://www.classissima.com/

Photos from Ten Grands!

2009-05-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we shared info. on the Ten Grands event one of our Quartets were performing at, and here are some photos of the ensemble in action!

Here they are performing at Benaroya Hall! Kudos to you all!!!

A Chat with a 2009 Composition Winner

2009-05-05T08:00:00.001-07:00

This week we wanted to share a little bit about one of our Composition Contest winners. In May these winner's works will be performed at the final Showcase Concert of the season.

Today we chat with Jason Wang, winner of the Debut composition:

BYSO: Jason, please share with us a little about your composition and your hobbies and interests?

Jason: The string quartet “Rondo in G” was originally composed in summer 2007. Although I have composed piano, piano trio, and cello works before, this is my first string quartet. I wanted to try something new. The BYSO project gave me the opportunity to explore new music perspectives. I used Rondo A-B-A-C-A-B-A form for this string quartet. This Rondo inspiration came from a Tarantella on piano I had played before. The principle theme “A” has a rather light and cute tune. It is contrasted with theme “B” which has minor inner-voiced tone and theme “C” with uncertain yet delightful melody. While working in preparation for the performance, I was very lucky to have a judge who helped me to improve continuity and expand my creative mind using music techniques. I like to compose music because it is a way to get away from the world, a way to express myself, and a way to explore new ideas of thought.

I am fourteen years old and a freshman at Roosevelt High school. I started to compose when I was in 3rd grade just for fun, but since last summer, I have been seriously learning the composition with Dr. Peter Mack. I have been study piano playing since 1st grade and I also take cello lessons. Currently I’m playing in Roosevelt High School Orchestra. In addition to music, I like watching nature and being outdoors, and I also enjoy playing tennis. In ten years I hope to be in a music school finishing my PH.D. and in twenty years I would like to be in New York doing music composition of some sort.

Summertime fun with BYSO!

2009-04-28T08:00:00.002-07:00

"Schoooool's out for summer"...well, not yet, but the sun is finally out, and we're already getting excited for all things summer, particularly our BYSO Summer Camp! Have you come to the BYSO summer camp in the past? It's so much fun to play outdoors, try out new instruments, and, last year, we were even able to record in a sound studio like the pros!

This year's planned to be just as fun, and it sounds like there might be fun new activities and performance opportunities too!

Time's running out to sign up, so don't wait any longer. Head over to our website at http://www.byso.org/ to sign up and get more details today!

BYSO At the Eastside Arts Fair!

2009-04-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Each year Crossroads hosts the Eastside Arts Fair, and BYSO students perform and a BYSO information booth is set-up. This is a fun event to come to with your family and friends to learn more about all of the Eastside Arts Organizations.

Click here to listen to an interview that Laura Shepherd of Studio East had with Marta Zekan of King FM to promote the Fair and the EAC.http://www.king.org/stream/EACArtsFairApr09.asx

The Fair is Sat. April 25th from 11am - 4pm. For more details go to: http://www.eastsidearts.org/fair

An Interview with Robert, Flute Composition Winner

2009-04-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

This year's winner of the flute composition took a moment to share with us a little about his composition and what inspires Robert. Check out the interview below:

BYSO: Tell us a little about your piece and what inspired you?

Robert: I wrote a very simple piece based off of the sounds of cicadas in northern New Zealand. After I came back from my trip I was inspired to incorporate the constant sounds of their chirp into a piece. I had already been experimenting a little with minimalism and this seemed like a perfect chance. The original version of this piece is for piano. Comparatively to my other pieces it took very little time to compose, less than a week. It is very simple harmonically, staying in only one key the whole time, although it does use cluster chords often. The biggest challenge in writing this piece was orchestrating it for flute choir. I am not a flautist myself and had to get lots of advice on flute writing. The original version used the whole range of the piano from the lowest C to the highest E and writing the piece for an ensemble with a much more limited range was challenging. Ultimately though, I think the flutes give the impression of cicadas much better and they also give it a much different sound. The flute choir version is much less harsh and much more relaxed. I took away a lot from writing for this ensemble which I did not know much about. I learned a lot about writing for flutes and it also helped me with my problem of writing things that are difficult to play because I knew I would be writing for a much younger group of performers.

BYSO: How long have you been composing and performing?

Robert: I am fifteen and have been studying composition for 3 years although I've played piano for 9. I study piano and composition with Dr. Peter Mack and also take classes at the Seattle Conservatory at SPU. I go to the Northwest School.

BYSO: What else would you like to share with us? What else do you do for fun?

Robert: Most of my time is devoted to music, but I'm also really into other arts like photography and also playing ultimate frisbee. In my future I would like to be a musician. I would love to compose music for movies, but just as a way to bring in money. I would really like to do something that allows me to try new things often. I love composing, playing modern classical music and doing jazz and classical improv and if I could do all of these things for a living then I would be happy. It might also be cool to incorporate other art forms like visual art, dance or poetry. It might be overly ambitious, but I can't imagine myself doing anything else.

See Robert's composition performed at the May BYSO Showcase concerts! Get all of the details at http://www.byso.org/

BYSO Quartet to Perform at Ten Grands

2009-03-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!!!

One of the BYSO Quartets will be performing at The Snowman Foundation's Ten Grands Event on April 3rd at Benaroya Hall.

For more information and ticket details go to: http://www.snowmanfoundation.org/?page=teng

The Snowman Foundation has been a strong supporter of BYSO, and we are excited to hear our students have been asked to perform for the second year in a row!

Happy Anniversary Conductor Kempisty!!!

2009-03-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Joseph Kempisty, conductor of Sinfonia, is completing his tenth year with the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra. He is the only current conductor to have worked under all three music directors since the Bellevue Eastside Youth Symphonies merged with Youth Philharmonic Northwest in 1999. We caught up with him at his office at Chinook Middle School, yesterday, where he is the assistant principal. We asked him to comment on the changes that have happened at BYSO and to compare and contrast the three music directors in the last ten years. He replied, “Each director brought their own unique strengths, and each was an integral part in developing the high quality music education program that BYSO has become. Alan Futterman (1994-2001) is still involved in our young composers’ composition contest and does a wonderful job of mentoring these young composers. Adam Stern (2001-2005) brought a vast amount of professionalism and experience that raised our expectations and gave us an exciting new perspective on who we could be. Dr. Teresa Metzger Howe (2005-present) is taking the next step leading BYSO with a skilled hand and attention to integrating BYSO into the greater community. I feel very privileged to have worked with each of these people, and I am glad that I am a part of what they helped to shape – a vibrant youth orchestra program that continues to grow!”

The Sapor Dei String Quartet Performs!

2009-03-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Sapor Dei String Quartet performs!

4 members of the Youth Orchestra in BYSO have create the Sapor Dei String Quartet and will be performing on behalf of BYSO at an upcoming Bellevue Downtown Association Event on March 19th. Shannon Chen (Violin), Jiho Kang (Violin), Teresa Jiang (Viola), and Isabelle Chu (Cello) are all current members in Youth and are excited about the opportunity to perform as a quartet for an upcoming event.

The Bellevue Downtown Association is hosting a thank you event for all of the new businesses that have opened in downtown Bellevue this year. The Sapor Dei String Quartet will add a nice touch to the event held at Village Bellevue.

Check back for photos from the performance!

Do you have a trio or quartet looking for performance opportunties? We would love to help you find opportunities to play. Please email marketing@byso.org with your groups information today.

Hayden's 'The Creation'

2009-03-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Concert combining many local musical performance groups:

The University of Washington Symphony, combined choirs, soloists present Haydn's 'The Creation'

Geoffrey Boers will conduct the University Symphony, Chamber Singers and University Chorale in a performance of one of the most beloved oratorios of all time, Josef Haydn's The Creation, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 13, in Meany Theater.

Haydn was inspired to write the large oratorio during his visits to England in 1791-1792 and 1794-1795, when he heard the oratorios of Handel performed.

The work on the oratorio lasted from October 1796 to April 1798. It was the longest time Haydn had ever spent on a single composition. Explaining this, he wrote, "I spent much time over it because I expect it to last for a long time."

The text for the oratorio -- which tells the story of God's creation of the Earth -- comes from the Bible and from Milton's Paradise Lost. Soloists in the work sing the roles of angels and of Adam and Eve. Faculty artists Joyce Guyer and Thomas Harper are the featured soloists in this performance.

Also on the program is Latvian composer Laureate Peteris Vasks' moving work Dona Nobis Pacem, for string orchestra and chorus.

There will be a pre-concert conversation led by Don Thulean, conductor emeritus of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m. in the Meany Hall West Lobby. The lecture is free, but you must have a ticket for the performance to attend. Tickets are $10 and are available at the Arts Ticket Office, 206-543-4880 or online at http://www.meany.org/.

The full article quoted above can be found at: http://uwnews.org/uweek/article.aspx?visitsource=uwkmail&id=47797

A little bit about our winners....

2009-03-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

On March 8th, 2009 Audrey Chen and Calvin Chan will perform their winning concertos, but who are these BYSO students? Here's a little info. about this year's winners:

Audrey Chen, of Redmond, is playing the Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor 3rd Movement by Saint-Saens. Audrey started playing cello at the age of eight. “This exciting movement that I am going to perform inspires me with its beautiful melodies and thrilling technique passages. After hearing many great cellists play this concerto, I fell in love with the rich tones of the piece. This concerto is one of my favorite concertos of all the ones I have heard,” shares Audrey.

Calvin Chan, a junior at Interlake High School in the International Baccalaureate program, “picked up the cello…at 11 [year’s old]. “I have been studying cello for 6 years and I now under Ray Davis,” shares Calvin. In addition to his participation in the Bellevue Youth Symphony, Calvin has participated in music programs such as Seattle Youth Symphony, the Academy Chamber Orchestra, and the Academy of Music Northwest. Calvin recently noted, “Lalo's Concerto in D minor has really motivated me to practice much harder as every time I play through it, I finish renewed.” Calvin will play his concerto composition with the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra’s “Youth Symphony.”

We hope you can come join us and watch these winning students perform with the Sinfonia and Youth Orchestras!

Who were those performers?

2009-02-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday a handful of BYSO students performed at a recital to showcase the concertos they created for the annual Concerto Competition. Here are some fun facts about those students and their selections:

Midori Mori is a student from Bellevue and is excited to be performing in this year’s concerto recital. Midori shared the selected piece, “Poème de l'amour et de la mer, literally Poem of Love and the Sea, was originally written for voice and orchestra. The piece consists of two parts separated by an orchestral interlude based on poems written by Chausson’s friend, Maurice Bouchor who was a French poet and sculptor.”

Andrew Pang is a student from Woodinville and is excited to be performing in this year’s concerto recital playing the violin. Andrew will perform the Concerto in D for Viola by Karl Stamitz (1745-1801). In addition to playing music, Andrew also enjoys transcribing music.

Joseph Dougherty, from Woodinville, is a current freshman at the University of Washington and shares, “Although I took up trombone in order to be part of BYSO, piano is my main instrument. I have just begun my freshman year at the University of Washington as a piano performance major studying with Craig Sheppard. This movement contains several challenging passages, which have forced me to learn to relax in order to play them. This and other pieces have helped me to see that the best playing technique requires much relaxation.”

Sam Dougherty is a student from Woodinville and is excited to be performing in this year’s concerto recital. Sam learned of the concerto competition after watching a winner play. Sam’s favorite part of participating was learning to prepare a piece for this level of performance. “I also enjoyed the challenge of standing in front of the judges and performing for them,” shared Sam.

Concerto Competition Performance & Recital

2009-02-17T21:35:00.000-08:00

Congratulations are due to all of the students who competed in this year's BYSO Concerto Competition! The judges deliberated and found it difficult to select just two winners, but they knew they had to make a decision.

Drum roll please....

We are pleased to announce Audrey Chen and Calvin Chan as the winning students of this year's Concerto Competition! You can hear these students perform at the March 8th concerts with the Sinfonia and Youth orchestras.

As mentioned, the judging process was tough. The students came in well-prepared and performed well. It seemed a shame not to show off the talent of each of these amazing BYSO students...and so we decided to add a recital to the BYSO performance calendar.

On February 22nd at the St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Bellevue you can join us to hear many of the student's concertos performed.

For tickets and more information log on to www.byso.org or call (425) 467-5604.

Music at the Mutual

2009-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Each year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, all of the musical groups in BYSO spend the evening practicing for upcoming concerts. Below are some photos from this year over at the Mutual Bank building:

What are you doing for Valentine's Day?

2009-02-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

Instead of chocolate this year, how about a family night filled with music? Sometimes it feels difficult to find time to relax as a family. A fun tip I've heard is setting aside a night that is just focused on hanging out as a family.

The true meaning of valentine's day is to show your appreciation towards the ones you love. Here are a few tips to musically enjoy Valentine's Day:

* Find your favorite classical piece online and send it to your friends and family. A music valentine is a perfect excuse to take a break and relax! There are many sites such as www.classical.com.

* Bake together! Put on your favorite cd and breaking out the baking pans. What's more fun than baking with a friend and your favorite tunes in the background?

* Give the gift of music. If you want to give something a little more original than chocolates, what about some sheet music, an itunes gift card, or compose your own piece and perform it for your friends and family. Getting musically creative is half the fun!

* Watch a movie. Grab the fam, order in a pizza, and rent a movie based on the soundtrack. Maybe a favorite musical? Or a film whose soundtrack is emphasized by the time period or certain musicians (The I Am Sam soundtrack exclusively includes cover versions of Beatles songs)?

Whatever you do this Valentine's Day think about ways you can make it a musical holiday! If you have a good tip send it our way to share with the BYSO community!

Who's Your Favorite Composer?

2009-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

We sat down with the BYSO Music Director, Dr. Teresa Metzger Howe, to chat with her about her favorite composer. This will be a reoccurring feature for the BYSO blog, so if you want to share who your favorite composer is let us know at marketing@byso.org.

For the longest time, when someone would ask me who my favorite composer is, I would always answer, “Chopin.” I discovered Chopin while in high school. I love his piano music with its exquisitely beautiful melodies, limpid ornamentations, and rubato tempi. His nocturnes, etudes, mazurkas and waltzes were all a joy to play. And his first piano concerto, played by Gina Bachauer, was my favorite record.
Now that my main musical expression is conducting orchestras, I would have to say that Beethoven has taken first spot in my heart. I have conducted his 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th symphonies and now, this season with the BYSO Youth Symphony, the first movement of his 7th symphony.
Many people feel that his first and second symphonies are “primer” Beethoven – that is, classical symphonies that are quite influenced by Mozart. I conducted these symphonies when I taught at Lakeside Upper School and they are perfect for a young, small orchestra. But even in the infancy of his symphonic writing, I hear muscular writing, dynamics used for surprise, and a propulsive energy.
His 3rd symphony, the “Eroica,” broke the mold, as everyone knows. The sheer length of the movements, the harmonic richness, the rigorous fugue in the first movement, the brooding second movement that takes a loooong time to unfold, the myriad of variations in the fourth movement all create a very hefty work. I conducted this symphony with Rain City Symphony, a community orchestra in Seattle. We were all exhausted by the time the last note was played.
His 5th symphony is famous for its “fate knocking at the door” motif in the first movement. While not as long as his 3rd, it seems perfectly composed – terse, exciting, but also lyrical at times. I conducted this symphony at Rain City as well and we fared better with it, although the vigorous fourth movement had us panting for breath by the conclusion.
The first movement of his 7th symphony was programmed by “popular choice,” that is, it had appeared on many “wish lists” of repertoire that I occasionally solicit from the BYSO musicians. I’m glad we played it. Its mighty first chord followed by a wistful melody is expanded until we reach the jaunty Vivace section. Then it is pure Beethoven – energy and muscle interspersed with relaxation until the rush to the end of the movement with the insanely high French horn calls!

- Dr. Metzger Howe

We want your photos?

2009-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Do you have any funny photos from backstage? Parents, do you have any great shots from the audience? We want to fill the BYSO Blog with photos, so please send your submissions to marketing@byso.org!

Video Games Live at The Paramount Theatre

2009-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

If you like video games and you like music, how could this not be the perfect concert to attend? On January 24th, 2009 at 8pm The Paramount Theatre offers the Seattle area a unique night “at the orchestra.”

Check out the details from The Paramount Theatre’s website:

Video Games Live is an immersive concert featuring music from the greatest video games of all time. Created and produced by industry veterans and world famous video game composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall; top orchestras and choirs around the world perform along with exclusive video footage and music arrangements, synchronized lighting, solo performers, electronic percussion, live action and unique interactive segments to create an explosive one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.

Special events include a pre- and post-show festival where guests enjoy interactive game demos, prizes, a costume contest, game competitions and a meet-and-greet with top game composers and designers. Picture the excitement and energy of a rock concert mixed with the power and emotion of a symphony orchestra combined together by the technology, interactivity, stunning visuals and fun that only video games can provide. Completely synchronized cutting-edge video screen visuals, state-of-the-art lighting and special on-stage interactive segments dazzle audiences of all ages – gamers and non-gamers alike.

A Pre-Show Festival is open to all ticket holders and includes game demonstrations and competition, costume contest and prizes. A Post-Show Meet & Greet is also open to all attendees and features industry designers/creators, composers/sound designers, voice actors, performers and more special guests.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.theparamount.com

LAST MINUTE OPPORTUNITY!

2009-01-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

From www.theparamount.com/education/mm.asp

MORE MUSIC @ THE MOORE is a training and performance program for selected young artists representing diverse music genres. The program provides young artists training and rehearsal time with professional musicians; production and promotional support; recording experience; and the opportunity to perform live in concert at a professional venue, The Moore Theatre.

Mentors for the program have included: STG Artist-in-Residence, New York based violinist, conductor and composer Daniel Bernard Roumain; Ernestine Anderson, jazz singer; Dave Dederer from The Presidents of the United States of America; R&B singer Felicia Loud; Sheldon Reynolds of Earth, Wind and Fire; Michael Shrieve, original drummer of Santana; and Alan White, drummer for Yes. “Honestly. Highlight of my lifetime, right here.”- More Music @ The Moore participant, age 19

LAST MINUTE OPPORTUNITY - SEEKING TEEN MUSICIANS- SUBMISSIONS DUE JANUARY 15, 2009!Seeking teen musicians to perform in More Music @ The Moore on May 8, 2009 at The Moore Theatre. To apply, send a brief bio and a CD sample or electronic such as mp3, MySpace or Youtube by email to Education or mail to: Seattle Theatre Group Attn: More Music @ The Moore911 Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98101.
For questions, call 206-467-5510,ext 1171 or email Education.

BYSO students, this is a unique opportunity! We hope you consider applying, and if you do, please let us know!

BYSO Blog!

2009-01-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the newest addition to the BYSO Website – the BYSO Blog! This weekly blog will be filled with fun facts, exciting upcoming events, interesting articles, and special guest blogs from students, parents, and staff. In addition to our e-newsletters, mailings, the website, and our concert programs we are reaching out to connect with you through this blog.

Our vision for the BYSO Blog is to have the opportunity to connect with the BYSO friends & family in an informal, fun, and informational way. We’ll often read an interesting article or hear about an event we are sure the BYSO students would be interested in, and wish we had an easy way to communicate the news with everyone connected to BYSO.

So, please remember to check out the blog when you are on the BYSO website, or better yet, bookmark it and check back regularly. The blog will have a section for your comments, and we sure do hope to hear from you too! Let us know what you think about the posts, if you end up attending any of the events we share with you, or if you hear of other events of interest. Also, if you would like to be a guest blogger we would love to hear from you! You can email us at marketing@byso.org for more information.

- BYSO Marketing