ORLANDO, FL - Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras (FSYO) is excited to host a new initiative in the Central Florida Arts Community called The FSYO Invitational. This Inaugural Invitational will be hosted from Thursday, February 23, 2023 through Saturday, February 25, 2023, and the series culminateswith the Spring Classics Concert (sponsored in part by Ernst & Young) taking place at Lyman High School on Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 3 PM.
The FSYO Invitational comes to fruition from an idea the FSYO Music Director, Dr. James Welsch, developed that would bring nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians to Central Florida for the sole purpose of working with the next generation of professional musicians. These Guest Artists will lead clinics not only for FSYO student musicians but also the surrounding school music programs completely free of charge. Invited ensembles will rotate between strings, winds, and brass each year, and a jazz clinician will be added into the mix next season. For the Inaugural Invitational, FSYO is proud to be bringing the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Faculty Brass Ensemble to Central Florida whose lead trumpet, Dr. Joseph Cooper, is an Alumnus of FSYO himself.
“I am so excited FSYO is establishing our very first Invitational. Within this yearly program, FSYO invites an exceptional group of professional musicians to the central Florida area to work with our FSYO students, school music programs, and other arts community partners and extend their knowledge and expertise with our community. As we continue to build out this festival in the future, we are excited to expand FSYO’s reach into the community and invite all musical students to learn from masters of their craft.”
-Dr. James Welsch, Music Director
This year’s guest ensemble, Oklahoma State University Faculty Brass Ensemble, is composed of the following members: Dr. Joseph Cooper (trumpet), Professor Lanette López Compton (horn), Professor Paul Compton (trombone), and Dr. Ryan Robinson (tuba). During the Spring Classics Concert, Dr. Aaron Witek, the trumpet professor from Stetson University, will make a Guest Appearance with the OSU Ensemble for their performance of Nancy Galbraith’s Concerto for Brass Quintet and Orchestra. Within the ensemble’s four day residency, they will visit Lake Howell High School, Winter Park High School, and Lyman High School to clinic with the band students at each of those schools, and on Saturday, they will clinic and rehearse with FSYO students in preparation for Sunday’s concert.
FSYO’s Spring Classics Concert, sponsored in part by Ernst & Young, concludes the Invitational where the visiting artists will perform the Galbraith. In addition to the OSU Brass Ensemble with Dr. Aaron Witek performance, this concert will showcase all four classical FSYO ensembles and Andrea Ignatic, one of FSYO’s 66th Season Concerto Competition Winners. Andrea will perform the second movement of Henryk Wieniawski’s Concerto for Violin No. 2.
ABOUT OSU FACULTY BRASS ENSEMBLE:The Oklahoma State University Faculty Brass, in its current iteration, has been performing together since 2019. They advocate for the performance of music by all composers and their performing repertoire spans styles from medieval to modern. In addition to their quintet, they individually maintain highly active performance calendars in regional, national, and international ensembles appearing with orchestras, chamber groups and as soloists, locally and abroad.
The OSU brass faculty have hosted several masterclasses for their students in the Greenwood School of Music at OSU in the last year. These classes were presented by members of the Chicago Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Seraph Brass among many others. The OSU brass faculty are keen on cultivating student success and mentoring the next generation of performers and teaching artists. OSU brass studio alumni can be found throughout the United States, performing in ensembles including the Philadelphia and Utah Symphony Orchestras, and are successful band directors across the country. Lanette Compton, horn, is from Nebraska and Paul Compton, trombone, is from Texas. Ryan Robinson, tuba, and Joe Cooper, trumpet, are both Florida natives. Joe is an FSYO alumni.
ABOUT DR. JOSEPH COOPER: Dr. Joseph Cooper is the trumpet professor at Oklahoma State University and is both a dedicated educator and a highly active performer. He is also a founding member of Composite Brass, a duo dedicated to expanding the repertoire for trumpet and saxophone.
His students have enjoyed great success. They have been featured clinicians at music education conferences, performed for the National Trumpet Competition and the International Trumpet Guild Annual Conference, and are active band directors in Texas, Oklahoma and Minnesota. Younger students from his private studio auditioned into the National Youth Orchestra, were accepted into many of the best collegiate trumpet studios nationally and have auditioned into top chairs in the All-State bands, orchestras, and jazz ensembles in Oklahoma and Texas.
Cooper performs regularly with the Tulsa Symphony, the Tulsa Ballet, and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. Other performances include the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Colorado Symphony, and the Breckenridge Music Festival, among many others. Cooper has performed in popular genres, too, including at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. He has toured the world with concerts across the United States and in Hong Kong, Japan, China, England, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany.
Originally from Sanford, Florida, Dr. Cooper received music degrees from Indiana University - Bloomington (B.M.), Rice University (M.M.), and The University of Texas at Austin (D.M.A.). His primary teachers include John Almeida, John Rommel, Marie Speziale, and Ray Sasaki. Cooper is an active member of the International Trumpet Guild. 
ABOUT PROFESSOR LANETTE LOPEZ: Lanette López Compton is the Associate Professor of Horn at Oklahoma State University where she has been since 2005. She is presently a member of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra and the Tulsa Opera Orchestra and has performed with groups in Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Argentina. Lanette has performed on more than a dozen CD’s, including the critically acclaimed CD The Manne We Love: Gershwin Revisited featuring the Steve Houghton Quintet and the University of North Texas Two O’clock Lab Band. She is currently on faculty at the FOOSA Festival/Fresno Summer Orchestra Academy which performs a concert in Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California.
Lanette is the 2022 and 2014 recipient of the Wise-Diggs-Berry Award for Teaching Excellence in the Arts. Students in the OSU Horn Studio have placed in regional and international competitions and have made several summer music festivals. Graduates of Lanette’s studio have won professional orchestral positions throughout the United States including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony, Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, and Round Rock Symphony.
Professor Compton is in high demand as a clinician and adjudicator. Lanette was a guest artist for the 2021 AZ CornoCon and the 2020 SEMO Horn Day. Her “Drop the Beat” warm-up has been a popular and unique presentation at several regional and international horn conferences. Lanette has judged several regional horn workshop competitions, as well as the 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022 International Horn Competition of America. 
ABOUT PROFESSOR PAUL COMPTON: Paul Compton is Associate Professor of Trombone at Oklahoma State University, and an artist for Edwards Trombones and Griego Mouthpieces. Since 2012, Paul has been an artist for the Trombonanza Festival in Santa Fe, Argentina 6 times, and he was also an artist for the 2020 Tourbon Festival in Santiago, Chile. Paul has appeared as soloist with the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, Santa Fe (Argentina) Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe (Argentina) Municipal Band, Camerata Eleutheria Chamber Orchestra, Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble, and Oklahoma State University Symphony Orchestra. Paul has premiered numerous compositions for trombone, including works by composers Joseph T. Spaniola, James Kazik, John Cheetham, and Michael Schneider. Paul is a recipient of the OSU Friends of Music Distinguished Music Professor Award, OSU Regents Distinguished Teaching Award, and the OSU College of Arts and Sciences Wise-Diggs-Berry Award for Teaching Excellence in the Arts.
Paul’s students have earned over 80 top honors in state, regional, national and international competitions. OSU trombone ensembles have won the prestigious International Trombone Association Emory Remington Trombone Ensemble Competition, International Trombone Association Trombone Quartet Competition, International Trombone Association Kai Winding Competition, American Trombone Workshop National Trombone Quartet Competition, Courtois Trombone Quartet Competition, Downbeat Magazine Student Music Award for Best Classical Group, and the IWBC Ginger Turner Brass Ensemble Competition. 
ABOUT DR. RYAN ROBINSON: Dr. Robinson joined the faculty of the Oklahoma State University Michael and Anne Greenwood School of Music in 2018. He is Principal Tuba of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas, Ft. Smith Symphony Orchestra, and Lawton Philharmonic. Dr. Robinson is the founder and host of the Eastman Tuba Academy. He holds degrees are from the University of North Texas (BM, DMA) and Northwestern University (MM).
Dr. Robinson enjoys a busy and diverse career as a professional tubist. As an orchestral tubist, he has performed with the Houston Symphony, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Tulsa Symphony, Las Colinas Symphony, Allen Philharmonic, and the Blue Lake Festival Band. He has accompanied a wide variety of artists including Weird Al, Kristin Chenoweth, Hansen, Michael W. Smith, BJ Thomas, and Dave Brubeck.
As an active member of International Tuba Euphonium Association, Dr. Robinson has performed and adjudicated at numerous regional and international conferences. He has also served as a host for two regional conferences in 2015 and 2022.
Dr. Robinson is an Eastman Winds Artist. 
ABOUT DR. AARON WITEK: Dr. Aaron Witek is Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Coordinator of Brass and Percussion of the School of Music at Stetson University. Prior to his appointment at Stetson, Dr. Witek was Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Ithaca College (2018-22) and the University of Louisiana Monroe (2013-18) where he was also a member of the faculty ensemble in residence, Black Bayou Brass. Dr. Witek is sought out as an adjudicator and has adjudicated at the International Trumpet Guild Conference (ITG), National Trumpet Competition (NTC) and USBands. He currently serves as a Brass Pedagogical Consultant for the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps and was previously the Assistant Brass Caption Manager.
As an active performer and educator, Dr. Witek has given recitals and clinics throughout the U.S., China, Australia, and Bangladesh; including the ITG Conference, International Women's Brass Conference, and Music Education Association Conferences in Florida, Louisiana, New York, and Texas. Dr. Witek can be heard on Scenes from the Bayou, The OXtet Does Hindemith, and later this year his first solo album Premiere.
As a noted author, Dr. Witek has been published numerous times in the International Trumpet Guild Journal. His book entitled Gordon Mathie: The Treasured Legacy of a Master Teacher and Performer, was published by WR Enterprises. In May 2018, Witek released his first publication with Mountain Peak Music entitled Solo Duet Training for Trumpet and is contracted to write two more books for the publisher.
Dr. Witek’s students have had great success, including being division finalists at the Music Teachers National Association Competition, International Trumpet Guild (ITG) Scholarships, and solo Semifinalists at the National Trumpet Competition (NTC). Trumpet ensembles under his direction have been semifinalist and finalist at NTC, including second place recipients.
Witek earned his D.M. and M.M. degrees from Florida State University, and a B.M.Ed. degree from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.
Aaron Witek is proud to be a Yamaha Artist and a Monster Oil Performing Artist.
For more information about Dr. Aaron Witek and the Stetson University Trumpet Studio please visit www.aaronwitek.com.
ABOUT FSYO: Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras empowers young musicians to achieve excellence and inspire their communities through a shared love of music. In its 66th Concert Season, FSYO serves over 275 students and comprises seven ensembles - three symphony orchestras, one string-training orchestra, two jazz bands, a percussion ensemble, and Stringmania Summer Camp.
FSYO programs are carefully structured to encourage student growth with FSYO throughout their primary and secondary years. Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras’ full range of ensembles gives each student a place to excel with peers at a similar level and an opportunity to collaborate with seasoned music professionals on local, national, and international levels. During summers, Symphonic Orchestra and Alphonse Carlo Jazz Band students participate in life-changing experiences of organized tours, alternating between international and national travel.
Programs are sponsored in part by Orlando Utilities Commission - The Reliable One; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts; and United Arts of Central Florida, home of OrlandoAtPlay.com and UAArtsEd.com. FSYO thanks these groups for their generous support.
Website: www.fsyo.org | Facebook: facebook.com/THEFSYO | Instagram: @f_s_y_o | YouTube: youtube.com/fsyo
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