Holiday 2007

Subject: Holiday Concert, 3 p.m. December 2, 2007, Lenape Valley Regional High School.   Download the flyer   The Sussex County Youth Orchestras will present their holiday concert  at 3:00 P.M. December 2, 2007, at Lenape Valley Regional High School in Stanhope.  Featured on the program are the youngest string players The Suzuki Violins and Cellos, followed by the Rocking Strings, the Preparatory Orchestra and the Youth Symphony.  This concert marks the end of our 20th Anniversary Year which included a summer concert tour of Beijing and X’ian China.  150 musicians will take part representing private and public elementary, middle and high schools from Sussex and the surrounding counties.   The young musicians of the SCYO will perform traditional holiday music as well as the classics.  The premier performance of a contemporary, original composition entitled “Evolutions For Orchestra “ by John Sepe is featured by our Youth Orchestra as well as an original novelty piece entitled “Jolly Wonder Jingle” by Alan Tedesco by our youngest ensemble, the Rocking Strings.  Nancy Chamberlain, vocal soloist, will perform a special arrangement of “Jingle Bells” with the full symphony orchestra.  The Youth Orchestra is conducted by Gerald Tedesco.   This concert is dedicated to Mark Silverman, a parent and an original SCYO board member who was integral in establishing the SCYO  as a non-profit organization recognized by the state of New Jersey.  Mark gave freely of his time fund raising and helping the orchestra in many ways.  He  passed away this summer and the orchestra members would like to honor him with this holiday performance.   The Sussex County Youth Orchestras are under the musical direction of Dawn Tedesco. The community is invited to this wonderful concert which is held in a handicapped accessible venue and is free.  Call 973- 786-5837 or email dawnscyo@earthlink.net for additional information.  An anniversary is always more than an opportunity to celebrate. After the congratulations are received it is time to take a deep breath and quietly consider what lies ahead and where we’ve been. We have much to be proud of and great work yet to do.   Educating the community and our orchestra members to the diversity of music is an ongoing process. Touring through Europe and China, performing in so many different countries, has exposed our members to different cultures and has taught us the value of being able to communicate through the universal language of music.   A highlight of this spring was a joint concert with the Pine Forest High School Orchestra from North Carolina.  We listened to their fiddling, jazz and Celtic pieces. They listened to our brass, woodwind and string classical pieces. Then we joined forces and performed together under the direction of their conductor, Nathan Artley, and our conductor, Gerald Tedesco. Another enriching experience was a trip to Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center to hear pre and post concert talks by Peter Schickele. SCYO members were privileged to hear Lisa Batiashvili perform the Shostakovich Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor, Op.99 with the New York Philharmonic.   What I am most proud of is our mentoring program where our older students give back by working with our younger students in each of the four performing groups. In our Youth Orchestra, alumni rehearse with us and often join us in concerts and on tour.   Teaching is my life’s work whether it is to our very youngest Suzuki students or to the senior citizens in the piano club at The House of the Good Shepherd. It gives me great joy to teach and the students both young and old give the joy back twofold.   Sussex County Youth Orchestra For information about becoming a part of the Sussex County Youth Orchestras, as a musician or a friend, please contact: Dawn Tedesco, Director by phone: 973-786-5837 by e-mail: dawn@scyo.org

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