Blog

FSYO's own Vanessa and Tyler welcome guests with music!

Early this morning, FSYO students Vanessa and Tyler represented the FSYO with rousing music, welcoming distinguished guests to Orlando's Amway Center, for Mayor Buddy Dyer's State of the City address.

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We loved seeing our print sponsors, OUC!

Halloween costumes, snacks to share and fun in the courtyard!

As a much deserved break from Fall rehearsals, FSYO hosts an annual Fall celebration for students to show off their Halloween costumes, run around in the beautiful weather, and share snacks outside. Check out the costumes pics below.

Congratulations to all!

We're so proud of all 4 Orchestras for their performance at our 56th Seaon Opening Concert! Rookie and returning students braved the big hall at the Bob Carr to a large crowd. See below for pictures from the exciting day.

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Join us as we follow Tristan, our Symphonic Orchestra's Concertmaster.

In this series, we’ll follow FSYO students through their busy lives, and learn how they excel in balancing school, family, friends, and music. Read on for an interview with Tristan, our Symphonic Orchestra’s Concertmaster, and a peak into a typical day.

8:00 am: Wake up and get ready for school.

9:25 am: School with fellow FSYO member Zoë Dickman.

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Tristan snaps a picture of friend and FSYO cellist, Zoë. Hi Zoë!

1:30 pm: Lunch break. I also stop by the the local elementary school to help with strings class.

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Tristan, helping teach local elementary students.

4:00 pm: Private lesson with Lev Gurevich. He stops every few measures to make corrections on the Mozart Concerto in A Major I’m working on. It takes up most of my lesson, but Mozart requires a lot of attention!

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Lev Gurevich looks on as Tristan works through the Mozart.

6:30 pm: Practice, Practice, Practice.

7:30 pm: Practice!

FSYO: Tristan, When did you join FSYO? What made you initially want to join?

Tristan: I joined FSYO last year for the 2011-2012 season. I wanted to join initially because I was in a local youth orchestra for 5 years and I thought it would be good to meet new young musicians and expand my orchestral repertoire. I have stuck with FSYO because it has done just that. There are fantastic musicians from around the state that I would never have met if it weren't for FSYO and all of the pieces

This past Sunday, September 30, the Philharmonia Orchestra enjoyed rehearsal with guest conductor, Joseph Kreines. Phil students diligently worked through their 3 hour rehearsal, hammering down details of the Saint-Saens March Militaire Francais, and Borodin's Steppes of Central Asia, all in preparation for the 56th Season Opening Concert.

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Mr. Kreines, left

ABOUT Mr. Kreines: A native of Chicago, Joseph Kreines came to Florida as associate conductor of the Florida Symphony Orchestra, where he served for four years. Subsequently, he was conductor of the Brevard Symphony, associate conductor of the Florida Orchestra in Tampa, and musical director for several opera and musical theatre productions. He has served as clinician and guest conductor with some 300 bands, orchestras and choruses throughout the nation and also appears as piano accompanist at numerous recitals and festivals.

56th Season Opening Concert, featuring Dr. Ayako Yonetani, presented by TD Wealth

ORLANDO, FL – The Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra’s 56^th Season opens with an October 14 concert, presented by TD Wealth, featuring all four of the organization’s orchestras and Orlando's own Dr. Ayako Yonetani, an acclaimed violinist and University of Central Florida music professor, at the historic Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre.

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The orchestras – Overture Strings, a string training orchestra with performers 7 to 14 years old; Prelude, whose musicians are age 9 to 15; Philharmonia, featuring 11- to 18-year-olds; and Symphonic, a pre-professional group whose members are age 13 to 20 – will present works from composers including Verdi, Saint-Saens and Rimsky-Korsakov. Dr. Yonetani will join FSYO’s Symphonic Orchestra during the Brahms Concerto for an exciting solo performance. She is a doctor of musical arts, a full professor of violin and viola at UCF and a member of Japan’s premier chamber ensemble, Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo.

“I have performed this concerto with an orchestra several times, so the challenge I have now and the challenge I faced when I was learning for the first time are different,” Dr. Yonetani says. “Because Brahms was not a violinist, I at first felt it was kind of awkward, even though the notes did not look particularly hard. Some virtuoso pieces like Wieniawski or Sarasate fit to the hand more.”

Dr. Yonetani bolsters other expert opinion that the Brahms Concerto is more of a showcase for the orchestra than is typical for a star vehicle. “Now I pay attention to more of the sound because this piece is rather symphonic, requiring a certain richness of sound and stamina,” she says. The virtuosity lies not so much in difficult runs of notes, but in the quirks of the composer. “There are lots of double-stops, but this is also a typical Brahms-ian piece. I like the thickness of harmony and particular sonority of Brahms.”

Dr. Yonetani believes this violin concerto is one of the all-time greats. “The first time I learned this piece, I was the age of the orchestra members, 15 to 16 years old. I was totally fascinated by this concerto when I looked at the music. Of course, some students are already familiar with this piece but, if not, it is nice to hear it live.”