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The final Stringmania! performance at the College Park Baptist Church marked the official end of our 56^th season here at FSYO. If you missed it, you missed a doozy; filled with everything from duets to full orchestra pieces and teddy bears to dinosaurs. Be sure to check the FSYO Facebook page for photos and video clips. For those unfamiliar, Stringmania! is a two week long musically enriching program for young, advancing string players. This year the students performed 9 full orchestra pieces ranging from Bach to Disney and put together a number of chamber groups. This may seem like a lot of work and it certainly is; the students not only participated in full ensemble rehearsal but also sectionals and at-home practice, but there was also plenty of time for fun. The students did arts and crafts, learned to dance the jig, played a little charades, but most importantly, made some friends. Many of these students will be auditioning for or are already members of our regular season orchestras.

Group Stringmania

Now the 57^th season is drawing nigh and we are busy preparing for the amazing things that we have to come. We are holding open auditions on August 17^th to fill the last few seats in our orchestras. If you know or are a young, dedicated musician, be sure to visit the auditions section of our website and see if there is an open space for you. And if you’re not a player but a listener, be sure to check our calendar for upcoming concerts and to purchase tickets. Our season opener is October 13^th and will feature renowned cellist David Bjella. This is one that you won’t want to miss. Buy your tickets now and we’ll see you there!

The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra hosted its 56th Concert Season finale on Sunday, May 5, 2013, with a four-orchestra concert at the historic Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Downtown Orlando. Special recognition goes to Andrew Cheshire. Andrew is a tenth grade honors student at Merritt Island High School. He began playing violin in second grade. Andrew was a concerto finalist and was chosen to play Barber's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Opus. 14. FSYO bid a fond farewell to 38 seniors graduating in 2013. We are so proud of their accomplishments and wish them well in future endeavors.

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Andrew Cheshire in the midst of his peformance with the FSYO's Symphonic Orchestra.

FSYO's Symphonic Orchestra French Horn Section.

Conductor, Sarah Morrison leading FSYO's Overture Strings Orchestra.

The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra aims to educate and inspire Central Florida's top young musicians via programs committed to strengthening musical talents and developing appreciation of the arts through classical music. The FSYO's more than 250 members are students from eight Central Florida counties, including Orange, Osceola, Lee, Seminole, Brevard, Lake, Highlands and Volusia. Programs are sponsored in part by the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs; the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; the Darden Restaurant Foundation; the Universal Orlando Foundation; and United Arts of Central Florida. We thank these groups for their generous support. The FSYO is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information, please visit www.fsyo.org.

The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra's Stringmania is a two-week long musically enriching program for string. Stringmania hosts students ages 7 to 15 who are playing at a Suzuki Book 2 level or higher. Participants are provided with a challenging and fun musical experience that includes: orchestra & chamber ensemble experiences, chamber group coaching, private lessons, instruction in fiddling and improvisation and more. Dr. Mauricio Cespedes Rivero, will lead the camp with assistance from other talented string educators. Stringmania culminates in a free performance on the first floor of the Orlando Public Library located at 101 E. Central Blvd. Orlando, FL 32801 at 12 p.m.

Stringmania 11x17-01

The Orlando Public Library is the headquarters and resource center for the Orange County Library System. The 290,000 square foot downtown Orlando facility is the largest public library building in the state of Florida. The Library has been located at this site since its beginnings as the Albertson Public Library in 1923. Public Reference Departments in the Orlando Public Library include Children's, Genealogy, Law, Library Central, and Reference Central. The Children's Library offers spacious areas, special programs, computers

2012-13 FSYO Concert Poster Season Finale 1 The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra's 56th Concert Season will end on Sunday, May 5, 2013, with a four-orchestra concert at the historic Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Downtown Orlando.

The organization's 38 graduating seniors will be recognized with applause and awards as part of the 4 p.m. performance at the Bob Carr, 401 W. Livingston St. Tickets range from $8 to $16 and are available now through The Red Chair Project (www.redchairproject.com) or by calling the FSYO office at 407.999.7800. This concert is part of the Season Subscription Package.

Elizabeth Hicklin Today, we announce the departure of one of our long time conductors. We will miss Mrs. Elizabeth Hicklin and wish her nothing but the best.

"It is with great sadness that I announce my resignation as Prelude Orchestra conductor at the conclusion of the 2012-2013 season. I have enjoyed every moment as a conductor during the past 11 years. I have learned more from the students, parents, conductors and staff than I could ever imagine and have made lifelong friends. It was always my dream to become a youth orchestra conductor and I am so honored that it was with the FSYO! I’d like to thank all of the students who shared their time and music with me during 11 straight seasons! I look forward to continuing a wonderful relationship with the FSYO by attending concerts and hopefully conducting sectionals from time to time. I promise---I won’t be a stranger to the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra! Over half of my life has been spent with this organization (11 as a conductor and 7 as a student). I know firsthand the importance of music education in a persons’ life and will support the FSYO’s efforts for years to come. Thank you for the opportunity to work with your students!" - Elizabeth Hicklin, Prelude Conductor

"We're sorry to say goodbye to Elizabeth Napier Hicklin as conductor of our Prelude Orchestra. She has a long history with FSYO, as a student violinist and on our staff. Her dedication to music education and her rapport with students have served the many young musicians she has mentored so well. We will miss her, but look forward to seeing her in the future for sectionals and guest conducting. Elizabeth will always be a valued member of the FSYO family." - Donna McCue, Board President

"I have known Elizabeth since she was in high school and concert master of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra. It has been my pleasure to observe as she developed into a first class musician and leader. Under her baton, the Prelude Orchestra has become an essential part of our youth orchestra program. Her dedication to music and the young musicians of FSYO has been nothing less than inspiring. She will be missed but her contribution will never be forgotten." - Andrew Lane, Music Director

Matthew Davis 1 Matthew Davis is currently Director of Strings at the Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in Lakeland, Florida. In addition to conducting the Harrison Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Davis also teaches music theory, music composition, and chamber music. Under his direction, the Harrison Symphony Orchestra was selected to perform at the 2007 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago and the 2010 Festival des Anches in La Croix Valmer, France. Currently, Mr. Davis is on the faculty of the Florida State University Summer Music Camps, where he co-conducts the Symphony String, Guarneri and Chamber orchestras. An active All-County clinician, Mr. Davis has conducted middle school and high school honors orchestras in Tampa, Fort Myers, and Naples, Florida as well as San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Davis holds a Master of Music Education from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Music in cello performance from Indiana University.

Mr. Davis was recently awarded a Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowship to travel to the Netherlands to study Baroque cello at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He has also been named Harrison School for the Arts Teacher of the Year for 2011-12. Previously, Mr. Davis served as Director of Orchestras at Denton High School in Denton, Texas, during which time his orchestra was named first runner-up in the Texas Honor Orchestra Competition. In 2004, Mr. Davis was presented with the Marjorie Keller Young Teacher Award by the Texas chapter of the American String Teachers Association.

Stringmania! 2013: That's a Wrap!

FSYO Closes its 56th Season with a Grand Finale

Stringmania Summer Camp Performance

FSYO Closes 2012-2013 Season at Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre

FSYO Says Farewell to Elizabeth Hicklin

FSYO Welcomes New Prelude Conductor for 2013-2014 Season